IRLF 


13D 


A7 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 


WORKS   BY    PERCY    MACKAYE 

DRAMAS 

THE  CANTERBURY  PILGRIMS.     A  Comedy. 
JEANNE  D'ARC.     A  Tragedy. 
SAPPHO  AND  PHAON.     A  Tragedy. 
FENRIS  THE  WOLF.     A  Tragedy. 
A  GARLAND  TO  SYLVIA.     A  Dramatic  Reverie. 
THE  SCARECROW.     A  Tragedy  of  the  Ludicrous. 
YANKEE  FANTASIES.     Five  One-Act  Plays. 
MATER.     An  American  Study  in  Comedy. 
ANTI-MATRIMONY.     A  Satirical  Comedy. 
TO-MORROW.     A  Play  in  Three  Acts. 
A  THOUSAND  YEARS  AGO.     A  Romance  of  the 

Orient. 
THE  IMMIGRANTS.     A  Lyric  Drama. 

MASQUES 

SANCTUARY.     A  Bird  Masque. 
SAINT  Louis.     A  Civic  Masque. 

POEMS 

THE  SISTINE  EVE,  and  Other  Poems. 
URIEL,  and  Other  Poems. 
LINCOLN.     A  Centenary  Ode. 
THE  PRESENT  HOUR. 

ESSAYS 

THE  PLAYHOUSE  AND  THE  PLAY. 
THE  Civic  THEATRE. 

At  all  booksellers 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 

A  Lyric  Drama 


BY 

PERCY  MACKAYE 

WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  BY 
FREDERIC  C.  HOWE 

Commissioner  of  Immigration  at  Ellis  Island, 
New  York 


NEW  YORK 
B.  W.  HUEBSCH 

MCMXV 


Copyright,  1912,  by 
PERCY  MACKAYE 

Copyright,  1915,  by 

PERCY  MACKAYE 

All  rights  reserved 


Including  stage  and  platform  rights  and  the  right  of  transla 
tion  into  foreign  languages,  including  the  Scandinavian. 

This  drama  "  The  Immigrants  "  has  been  duly  copyrighted  in 
the  United  States  of  America,  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  and  in 
all  countries  of  the  copyright  union. 

No  performance,  amateur  or  professional,  can  legally  be  given 
without  permission  first  obtained  from  the  author  and  payment 
of  royalty.  Infringement  of  copyright  involves  liability  to 
prosecution  by  law. 

No  public  reading  of  this  play  for  money  can  legally  be  given 
without  permission  first  obtained  from  the  author. 


NOTE: — For, permission  to  /ean  in  public  this  lyric  drama 
or  any  other  work  of  the  author,  application  must  be 
made  direct  *c  the  .author,  in  cart  of  the  publishers. 


So 
FREDERICK  S.  CONVERSE 

IN  FELLOWSHIP 


345198 


INTRODUCTION 

The  role  of  the  friendless  immigrant  who  comes 
to  o,ur  shores  has  been  portrayed  in  statistics,  con 
gressional  investigations,  and  sociological  studies 
until  we  have  almost  come  to  look  upon  the  im 
migrant  as  p.  commodity  ^rather  than  as  a  human 
being.  Mr.  Percy  MacKaye  in  his  lyric  drama 
'*  The  Immigrants  "  has  portrayed  for  us  the  in 
coming  alien  as  a  human  being  with  elemental 
emotions,  sympathies  and  tragedies  like  our  own; 
presenting  him  first  in  his  native  land  as  the  prey 
of  greedy  representatives  of  international  business 
interests,  and  then  as  an  incoming  immigrant, 
moved  —  like  our  own  ancestors  —  to  cast  in  his 
lot  with  the  land  of  freedom  in  the  hope  of  better 
things. 

Probably  no  other  subject  is  so  fraught  with 
suffering  and  pathos,  with  hopes  and  disappoint 
ments,  as  the  individual  experiences  of  the  million 
odd  men,  women  and  children  who  land  on  our 
shores  each  year.  Each  one  is  a  human  drama  in 
himself,  and  each  presents  to  the  new  world  a 

vii 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

problem  for  our  undertaking,  no  less  than  an  op 
portunity  for  the  new-born  resident.  And  Mr. 
MacKaye  has  presented  these  two  motives  in  a 
wonderfully  dramatic  lyric  form,  which  —  por 
trayed  upon  the  stage  —  should  awaken  America 
to  a  realization  of  the  necessity  of  a  constructive 
programme  for  the  protection,  care  and  assimila 
tion  of  its  people  from  over  the  sea.  And  when 
we  realize  that  there  are  thirteen  million  foreign- 
born  in  our  midst  and  eighteen  million  more  who 
are  immediate  descendants  of  the  foreign  born,  we 
should  recognize  that  here  is  a  problem  which 
should  awaken  statesmen,  educators,  and  philan 
thropists  to  seek  its  solution,  if  we  would  keep  the 
well-springs  of  American  citizenship,  American 
civilization,  and  American  culture  to  their  proper 
standards. 

Mr.  MacKaye  has  truthfully  presented  the  in 
dustrial  maelstrom  into  which  the  foreigner  falls 
in  the  great  cities,  in  the  mines,  the  mills,  the 
slaughter  houses,  and  sweatshops,  where  he  is  ex 
ploited  by  reason  of  his  ignorance  and  made  in 
many  instances  to  feel  that  America  differs  only  in 
name  from  the  countries  from  which  he  has  fled. 

The  form  chosen  by  Mr.  MacKaye,  the  lyric 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

drama,  is  especially  appropriate  to  present  these 
problems  to  us.  Our  immigrants  come,  for  the 
most  part,  from  countries  where  the  opera  holds  a 
high  place  in  official  thought  and  where  it  is  inti 
mately  related  to  the  lives  of  the  people  as  one  of 
their  most  familiar  cultural  agencies.  In  addi 
tion,  the  opera  is  expressive  of  the  temperamental 
things  which  those  from  the  south  of  Europe  are 
contributing  to  our  life.  It  seems  to  me  very 
pertinent  that  he  should  have  chosen  this  medium 
for  the  expression  of  the  drama  and  the  tragedies 
of  the  incoming  alien. 

This  book  is  particularly  welcome  also  in  view 
of  war  conditions  which  have  temporarily  stopped 
immigration.  For  when  the  war  is  over,  the 
widows,  the  fatherless  children,  the  restless  and 
discontented  of  other  lands  who  seek  an  asylum 
in  America  will  probably  present  to  us  an  immigra 
tion  problem  different  in  kind  and  larger  in  its  pro 
portions  than  any  with  which  we  have  heretofore 
been  confronted. 

This  work,  therefore,  seems  to  me  very  timely 
in  view  of  the  human  appeal  which  the  termina 
tion  of  the  European  War  is  likely  to  make  to 
America  —  the  land  which,  for  three  centuries, 


INTRODUCTION 


has  been  the  home  of  the  oppressed  and  the  dis- 
,    possessed  of  all  lands. 

FREDERIC  C.  HOWE. 
Ellis  Island, 

New  York  Harbor, 

July, 


PREFACE 

The  present  work  was  first  conceived  and  writ 
ten  by  me  during  the  spring  and  early  summer  of 
1912,  since  when  the  music  for  it  has  been  com 
posed  and  the  orchestral  score  recently  completed 
by  Mr.  Frederick  S.  Converse,  the  composer  of  two 
previously  produced  American  operas  *  and  of 
many  symphonic  pieces. 

Designed  originally  for  the  use  of  the  Boston 
Opera  House,  the  stage  production  of  "  The  Im 
migrants  "  has  been  affected,  in  common  with 
many  other  operatic  works,  by  the  Great  War. 

Since,  however,  the  message  it  seeks  to  express 
has  been  deemed  by  judges  as  authoritative  as  the 
New  York  Commissioner  of  Immigration  to  be 
timely,  true  and  important,  there  has  appeared  to 
me,  as  to  Mr.  Converse,  no  reason  why  the  publi 
cation  of  the  text  should  be  held  back  by  the  delay 
of  its  stage  production.  So,  for  whatever  service 
it  may  help  to  render  to  the  great  problem  of 
American  immigration,  as  well  as  for  whatever 

*  The  Pipe  of  Desire,  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  and 
The  Sacrifice,  at  the  Boston  Opera  House. 


xii  PREFACE 


pioneering  it  may  help  to  accomplish  in  a  new  con 
ception  of  the  uses  of  opera  in  English,  it  is  now 
put  forth  to  the  public. 

That  new  conception  for  America  to-day,  I 
think,  is  this:  that  the  uses  of  opera  in  English 
need  not  be  confined  to  a  mere  rendering  into  Eng 
lish  words  of  the  imaginative  concepts  of  foreign 
artists,  nor  to  imaginative  concepts  which  are 
themselves  aloof  from  the  passionate  problems  of 
our  modern  life,  but  that  those  uses  ought  to  be 
extended  ever  more  widely  to  increase  the  creative 
opportunities  and  the  creative  works  of  English- 
speaking  artists  of  the  theatre  in  expressing  the 
realities  of  human  passion  and  aspiration  which 
cry  out  for  expression  now  and  here  in  our  midst. 

Because  the  traditions  of  the  opera  have  been 
handed  down  to  us  from  times  and  conditions 
wherein  pure  romance,  or  fairy  fancy,  or  courtly 
intrigue,  or  symbolic  mythology,  or  other  themes 
of  the  past  hold  sway  [conditions  which  for  many 
artists  have  conduced  to  stamp  opera  as  a  bastard 
art- form],  that  is  no  reason  why  those  traditions 
should  be  held  unalterable. 

Those  same  traditions,  inherited  from  a 
monarchical  regime,  held  true  for  centuries  of 
another  lyric-dramatic  form  —  the  Masque,  yet 


PREFACE  xiii 


to-day  in  America  the  Masque  —  rendered  plastic 
to  the  demands  of  democratic  realities  —  is  be 
ginning  to  be  developed,  through  the  collaboration 
of  musical  composers,  dramatists  and  producers, 
into  a  new  instrument  of  community  drama  pro 
phetic  in  magnitude. 

In  this  happily  experimental  field  of  masque 
and  pageantry,  F.  S.  Converse,  Walter  Damrosch, 
Arthur  Farwell,  Daniel  Gregory  Mason,  Chal 
mers  Clifton  and  other  American  composers  have 
already  created  works  which  hold  place  in  the 
programmes  of  symphony  concert  halls  and  choral 
societies.  For  at  least  a  decade  the  composers 
and  grove-drama  makers  of  the  San  Francisco 
Bohemian  Club  redwood  festivals  have  cultivated 
with  distinguished  success  an  indigenous  form  of 
the  Masque. 

In  such  present  day  developments  of  the  the 
atre's  art,  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  be  associated 
as  dramatist  with  Mr.  Converse  as  composer  in 
works  involving  three  distinctive  forms  of  dramatic 
expression  *  —  verse  play,  masque  and  opera.  In 

*  For  my  play  Jeanne  d'Arc,  Mr.  Converse  composed  the 
instrumental  music;  for  my  Bird  Masque  Sanctuary  and 
Civic  Masque  Saint  Louis,  the  lyrics,  dances  and  choruses; 
for  The  Immigrants  and  for  another  opera  [as  yet  unpub 
lished],  all  the  music. 


xiv  PREFACE 


each  of  these  forms  the  dramatic  structure  and  the 
uses  of  English  speech  in  verse  have  presented 
problems,  differing  in  each,  and  always  new. 

One  point  common  to  all,  and  too  often  for 
gotten  by  readers  of  their  published  texts,  is  im 
portant  to  emphasize.  The  dramatic  structure 
and  the  uses  of  words  which  result  in  these  dis 
tinctive  art-forms  of  drama  are  conditioned  not 
by  publication,  but  by  production.  They  have 
nothing  to  do  with  readers  as  such.  To  readers 
who  are  unaware  of  the  conditions  of  their  produc 
tion,  the  forms  of  such  works  may  readily  —  and 
often  are  —  misunderstood  and  wrongly  im 
agined.  Yet  since  so  large  a  proportion  of  read 
ers  form  the  constituency  of  theatre  audiences,  the 
right  reading  of  dramatic  works  is  a  readily  ac- 
quirable  knowledge  and  is  rapidly  increasing.  Of 
the  forms  above  mentioned,  plays  are  doubtless  the 
most  understandingly  and  widely  read;  masques 
are  probably  the  least  so.  As  for  operas,  since 
they  are  works  nearly  always  familiarized  through 
their  production,  this  passing  reference  to  the  con 
ditioning  factors  of  dramatic  craftsmanship  may 
be  pertinent  to  the  reader  of  this  work.  The  sub 
ject,  though  it  can  only  be  alluded  to  here,  is  a 
pregnant  one  in  its  bearing  upon  the  creative 


PREFACE  xv 


output    and    critical    valuation    of    all    dramatic 
works. 

As  to  the  present  day  message  of  "  The  Immi 
grants  "  the  work  itself  must  speak,  not  my 
preface.  In  his  introduction  Commissioner  Howe 
has  made  his  own  comments,  and  of  those  I  have 
only  to  say  this:  that  I  shall  be  deeply  glad  and 
proud  if  this  work  of  mine  shall  be  able  to  con 
tribute  even  a  little  toward  that  great  service  of 
international  democracy,  to  which  Mr.  Howe  has 
contributed  such  wisely  informed  insight,  virile 
sympathy  and  courage,  as  master  of  that  little  isle 
which  is  the  great  door-stone  of  America's  destiny. 

PERCY  MACKAYE. 
Cornish,  N.  H., 

July,  1915. 


CHARACTERS 

GIOVANNI,  an  Italian  peasant 

NOEL,  an  American  artist 

SCAMMON,  an  American  agent 

SANDRO,  a  vineyard  worker 

GIUSEPPE,  a  young  peasant 

MARIA,  Sandro's  daughter 

LlSETTA,  her  younger  sister 

Peasants,  Shopmen,  Soldiers,  Citizens,  Police,  etc, 


XVll 


SCENES 

ACT  I 

Italy:     The  public  square  of  a  small  town  in  the 
vineyard  country :     A  morning  in  early  April. 

ACT  II 

New  York  Harbor:     The  steerage  deck  of  an 
ocean  steamship :     At  dawn,  in  early  May. 

ACT  III 

An  alley  in  the  slums  of  New  York:     A  night  in 
August. 

TIME 

The  twentieth  century. 


XVlll 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 

ACT  FIRST 


XIX 


ACT  FIRST 

The  scene  Is  the  public  square  of  a  small  hill- 
town  in  Italy.  The  season  is  April,  radiant  with 
the  bloom  of  Italian  springtime.  Near  the  left 
middle  ground,  orange  and  almond  trees  spread 
their  flowering  boughs  above  a  fountain.  Here 
is  sculptured  a  Mermaid  at  play  with  a 
young  Triton,  who  spouts  bright  water  high  from 
his  shell  in  showers.  Behind  these,  against 
glimpses  of  surrounding  vineyards,  stands  a  closed 
iron  gate,  in  front  of  a  stone  corridor,  leading  to  a 
stone  building  with  narrow  barred  windows.  On 
the  left,  broad  stone  steps  lead  to  the  wall  and 
doorway  of  a  church,  time-worn,  of  yellow  stucco. 
On  the  right,  in  the  foreground,  is  a  wineshop, 
between  which  and  the  prison  gate  stands  the  en 
trance  to  a  huge  tent  of  many-colored  canvas, 
closed  with  bright  flaps. 

When  the  scene  opens,  the  square  is  alive  with 
Italian  folk  of  many  types  and  ages.  Evidently  a 
local  festa  is  in  progress.  Near  the  fountain, 
young  peasants  in  bright  costumes  are  dancing  to 
a  guitar,  thrummed  by  SANDRO,  a  big,  jovial,  ruddy- 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 


faced  fellow,  middle-aged.  By  the  shop,  men  are 
drinking  at  outdoor  tables.  Against  the  church 
wall  old  folks  are  drowsing  in  the  sun.  On  the 
top  step,  NOEL,  at  an  easel,  is  sketching  some 
object  within  the  church.  Among  the  crowd  grin 
ning  boys  run  about,  mis  chief -making.  A  small 
procession  of  priests  enters  the  church. 

Carabinieri,  in  vivid  uniforms  and  military 
cloaks,  strut  officiously  among  the  people.  The 
crowd,  gathered  near  the  fountain,  are  clapping 
and  shouting  at  the  dancers. 

SANDRO 
[Waving  to  them  gayly,  thrums  and  sings:} 

O  Rosella,  Giovanniello, 
Come  away  to  San  Quentino ! 
He  is  dancing  down  from  heaven 

Where  his  laughing  angels  are: 
San  Quentino  he's  a  good  fellow 

[When  he  twangs  his  sweet  guitar! 

[From  near  the  tables,  the  Wineshop- 
Keeper,  to  whom  one  of  the  Officers  has 
been  showing  a  document,  points  at  SAN 
DRO  and  calls  out:] 

THE  WINESHOP-KEEPER 
Heigh,  Sandro ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 


[The  dance  goes  on,  amid  noise  and 
laughter.'] 

Heigh!  —  You  old  ripe  olive! 

SANDRO 
Who,— me? 

THE  CROWD 
[Jeering  good-hum  or  edly~\ 

You,  you! 

THE  WINESHOP-KEEPER 
[Beckoning] 

Heigh  -. —  here ! 

SANDRO 

[Holding  his  guitar  toward  a  young  fellow,  who  is 
dancing  with  a  lovely  slip  of  a  girl~\ 

Play,  'Seppe! 
GIUSEPPE 

Me  leave  Lisett'?  —  Pooh,  Papa! 
[He  kisses  her.'] 

THE  CROWD 
[Laughing] 

Papa! 
Ha-ha !     Lisetta  — 'Seppe ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 


SANDRO 

[Shoving  his  guitar  into   the  hands   of  another 
young  fellow] 

You,  then! 

[He  makes  off  toward  the  Wineshop- 
Keeper  and  the  Officer.'} 

A  PRIEST 

[From  the  church  steps'] 
San  Quentino  —  pray  to  him. 

NOEL 

[From  his  easel,  gazes  into  the  church] 
How  beautiful  she  prays  there  on  her  knees  — 
A  woman's  form,  but  in  her  face  a  child ! 
[He  goes  on  painting. 
A   contadino,   with  a  hamper  strapped 
to   his  back,  is  stopped  by   two  soldiers. 
They  make  him  unstrap  the  hamper,  open 
it,  and  reveal  bottles  of  wine.] 

THE  FIRST  SOLDIER 
Your  license ! 

[The  peasant  stares  in  fright,  searches 
in  his  coat  and  brings  forth  a  paper,  which 
the  soldiers  take  and  examine,  winking  at 
each  other.] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 


THE  WINESHOP-KEEPER 

[To  SANDRO,  indicating  the  Officer} 

Says  your  tax  is  due. 

SANDRO 

[To  the  Officer,  with  quaint  appeal} 
Eh  I  • —  But  to-day  is  festa. —  Grace ! 

THE  OFFICER 
[Rapping  his  document} 
To-day  your  money :  forty  lire. 

SANDRO 

Now  —  forty  lire  !     Do  I  look 
Like  Solomon  in  all  his  glory? 
I  pay  you  ten  —  to-morrow ! 

THE  OFFICER 

Forty, 
To-day ! 

SANDRO 
[Turning  his  pockets  inside  out,  empties  forth  a 

big  nut.} 
A  chestnut  —  see ! 

SERGEANT 

No  money? 
So!  — 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 


[To  the  Wineshop-Keeper] 
He  must  serve  his  time  in  prison. 

[He  claps  his  hand  for  a  'soldier,  who 
approaches.] 

SANDRO 

Jesu !  • — •  Like  poor  Giovanni !     Prison ! 
Eh,  no,  no,  no ! 

[The  Officer  points  out  SANDRO  to  the 
soldier,  and  waves  toward  the  prison. 
The  soldier  seizes  SANDRO  by  the  arm. 
SANDRO  cries  out:] 

Lisetta !     'Seppe ! 
Prison ! 

[  The  dancing  stops  in  tumult.  The  two 
young  people  rush  toward  him.] 

LISETTA 

[Screaming  and  pulling  GIUSEPPE  with  her] 
Ah,  Papa  Sandro! 

SANDRO 

Prison! 

They  put  me  there  with  poor  Giovanni  1 
Prison  —  for  forty  lire ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 


SERGEANT 

[Motioning  to  several  soldiers,  who  stop  the 
people] 

Silence ! 

\_To  the  soldiers,  who  lead  SANDRO  toward  the 

prison} 
March ! 

[The  people  follow,  hissing  and  groan 
ing.  The  soldiers  menace  them,  and  they 
fall  back.] 

GIUSEPPE 
Shame !     They're  tyrants  1 

LISETTA 
[Wildly'] 

'Seppe,  save  him ! 

[A  small  boy,  from  among  the  crowd, 
squirts  water  in  a  syringe,  hitting  the 
soldier  beside  SANDRO.  The  boy  is  in 
stantly  seized  from  behind  by  another 
soldier.] 

THE  SECOND  SOLDIER 
Ha !     You,  too,  Punchinello ! 

[The  boy  is  pulled  along,  struggling  and 
yelling.  Near  the  prison  door,  NOEL — • 


8  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

who  has  left  his  easel  —  stands  in  the  path 
of  SANDRO  and  the  soldiers,  who  pause. 
The  Second  Soldier  accosts  him:] 

Who 
Are  you  ? 

NOEL 

American. — 

[Handing  him  some  small  bills] 
Here's  forty  lire. 

THE  SOLDIER 
What  for? 

NOEL 
His  tax. 

[Quietly  putting  more  money  in  the 
hands  of  each  of  the  soldiers] 

There's  drinks  for  two. 
[Seizing  the  small  boy  by  the  ear] 

Rapscallion,  here !     You  want  a  spanking. 
[Boxing  him] 

Don't  squirt  at  scarlet  uniforms. 
Skedaddle,  now! 

[He  releases  the  boy  among  the  crowd, 
who  cheer.  The  soldiers,  grinning,  salute, 
and  walk  away  to  the  wineshop.] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 


SANDRO 

[While   LISETTA   and   GIUSEPPE   embrace   him, 
turns  gratefully  to  NOEL.] 

Ah,  good  signore  I 

LISETTA 
Gentle  signore! 

[They  try  to  kiss  NOEL'S  hand.  He 
evades  them. 

Meanwhile  the  soldiers  by  the  peasant 
with  the  hamper  have  helped  themselves  to 
his  case  of  wine.  One  of  them  now  lugs 
it  off,  laughing,  while  the  other  turns  to  the 
peasant  and  tears  up  his  license-paper,  be 
fore  his  scared  face.'] 

THE  SOLDIER 
Confiscated ! 
Your  license  now  is  void. —  Move  on ! 

[The  peasant  retreats  forlornly  among 
the  commiserating  bystanders.  The  sol 
dier  rejoins  his  companion  gayly."] 

SANDRO 
[To  NOEL] 

Signore,  forty  lire !     God 
Be  good  to  you !     I  pay  you  back. 


io  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

NOEL 
[Retreating  to  his  easel} 

Oh,  when  you  like ;  I  sold  a  sketch 
This  morning;  so  you're  welcome. 

LlSETTA 

[With  awe  to  GIUSEPPE] 

'Seppe, 
How  rich  and  grand ! 

GIUSEPPE 
You  silly!  — All 
Americans  are  made  of  gold! 

[He  points  toward  the  tent,  where  a 
shrewd,  jocular-faced  man  has  come  out 
through  the  flap,  and  stands  looking  on  — 
an  image  stuck  in  his  hat.~\ 

That  fellow  there  —  he  told  me  so. 

LlSETTA 

Who's  he? 

GIUSEPPE 

Oh,  he's  a  mighty  fellow. 
He  too  comes  from  America. 
He  tells  you  wonders,  sells  you  tickets, 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  n 

And  shows  you  maps  and  moving  pictures 
Of  monstrous  ships  and  lovely  ladies 
And  houses  half  a  mile  high  • — •  all 
The  marvels  in  America! 

LISETTA 
[Drawing  away] 
I  like  the  other  one  the  best. 

[Coming  close  to  NOEL,  she  stares  at 
him.'] 

Perhaps  he  is  some  prince  disguised. 

NOEL 
[Smiling] 

The  prince  of  paint-rags !  —  A  poor  artist, 
My  dear. 

[Pointing  with  a  brush  at  his  canvas  on 
the  easel.] 
You  see! 


LISETTA 

[Looks  and  exclaims] 
Maria !  —  Look, 

Papa !     'Tis  sister !     Look :  She's  kneeling  — •. 
Maria ! 


12  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

SANDRO 
[Gazing,  with  GIUSEPPE,  at  the  canvas] 

Eh,  Maria !     'Tis 
Thy  sister. —  Eh ! 

NOEL 
[To  SANDRO] 

Your  daughter?     I 
Am  sketching  her.     She's  praying  —  yonder. 

SANDRO 

Aye,  she  is  praying  for  Giovanni. 
Last  month  they  put  him  there  in  prison 
For  debt.     Giovanni  could  not  pay 
The  tax  —  so  he  must  serve  his  time 
In  there. 

NOEL 
For  long? 

SANDRO 
[Shrugging'] 

Who  knows?     Maria 
She  loves  Giovanni.     Since  so  high 
They  work  together  in  the  vineyards. 
Some  day  they  marry. —  Come,  signore, 
I  take  you  to  her. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  13 

[SANDRO  goes  into  the  church.  As 
NOEL  is  following,  he  is  intercepted  by  the 
man  with  the  image  in  his  hat.~\ 

THE  MAN 
[Extending  his  hand~] 
Howdy ! 
[NoEL  bows  slightly  and  steps  back.'} 

Glad 

To  greet  a  fellow  countryman 
So  far  from  home. —  Forgot  me? 

NOEL 

No. 

You're  Scammon  —  scallywag  at  large, 
The  marvelous  motion-picture  man: 
Commission  agent,  on  the  quiet, 
To  cram  the  steerage  cabins  full 
Of  souls  —  at  thirty  dollars  up. 

SCAMMON 

And  cheap,  say  I,  for  emigrants; 
Food,  drink  and  sleep,  three  thousand  miles 
To  share  the  land  of  liberty. 

[He  takes  off  his  hat  and  looks  at  the 
image  —  a  little  statue  of  liberty  — 
scratching  his  head  with  a  laugh.~\ 


i4  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

NOEL 

To  share  the  land !  —  And  what  of  those 
Who  seek  our  shores  of  liberty 
To  slave  in  mines  and  starve  in  slums?  — 
You  mock  my  country  with  your  hat. 

[He  starts  to  pass  by.  SCAMMON  stops 
him.] 

SCAMMON 

Hold  on  a  second !     So  it  seems 
You  paint  — 

{Wags  his  head  toward  the  church.] 
a  pretty  girl  in  there ! 

NOEL 
What's  that  to  you  ? 

SCAMMON 

I  say  the  girl 
Is  pretty :  —  7  say !     See  ? 

NOEL 
[Looks  him  over  with  quiet  contempt.] 

I  see! 

[NOEL  moves  quickly  past  into  the 
church.  SCAMMON  looks  after  him  with 
an  unpleasant  smile;  then  turns  to  the  easel 
and  stares  hard  at  the  canvas.  By  the 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  15 

margin  of  the  fountain,  where  the  Triton 
and  Mermaid  are  half  hidden  in  spray, 
LISETTA  twitches  GIUSEPPE'S  arm,  mer 
rily.] 

LISETTA 
Come,  play  —  like  them ! 

GIUSEPPE 

What  shall  we  play? 

LISETTA 
I'll  be  the  Mermaid,  you  be  Triton ! 

[  They  dodge  about  the  fountain,  splash 
ing  water  at  each  other,  GIUSEPPE  chasing 
LISETTA,  in  laughter.  From  the  easel 
SCAMMON  takes  up  NOEL'S  painting,  puts 
it  furtively  under  his  coat  and  glances  into 
the  church.~\ 

SCAMMON 
A  pretty  girl,  I  say, —  Maria ! 

[He  makes  off  and  disappears  around 
the  church  corner,  with  the  half-conceded 
canvas.'} 

GIUSEPPE 

[Having  caught  LISETTA  in  their  play.] 
Lisett',  look  here.  I'll  show  you  something: 
A  secret ! 


1 6  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

[He  stoops  under  the  fountain  ledge  and 
rummages  there~\ 

LlSETTA 
[Eagerly"] 

Dh  I     What  can  it  be  ? 

GIUSEPPE 

[Rising  and  holding  something  behind  him] 
I  made  it  for  you. —  Guess ! 

LlSETTA 

I  can't! 

Please  show  it,  quick! 

GIUSEPPE 
[Smiling'] 

First  pay  your  fine ! 

LlSETTA 

[Kissing  him  quickly  with  a  laugh~\ 
Now,  thenl 

[He  holds  up  a  little  wooden  boat  with 
sails.'] 

O,  beautiful !  —  A  boat  1 
And  can  it  sail? 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  17 

GIUSEPPE 

Of  course !     See  there ! 
[He  puts-it  on  the  water  where  it  floats. 
LISETTA  claps  her  hands. .] 
Lisett' !     Let's  go  aboard  of  her 
And  run  away  to  sea  together. 

LISETTA 

[Pulling  a  flower  from  a  bough} 
All  right,  this  almond-flower  —  that's  you, 
Giuseppe. 

GIUSEPPE 
[Picking  a  blossom  from  another  tree~\ 

Here,  that's  you,  Lisett' — 
The  orange  blossom.     All  aboard ! 

LISETTA 
Don't  push  her,  'Seppe !  —  Blow ! 

[Puffing  their  cheeks,  they  blow  the  sails 
of  the  little  boat,  which  moves  over  the 
rippling  fountain.  Then,  while  GIUSEPPE 
makes  waves  with  his  hands  to  propel  it, 
LISETTA  pauses  and  watches  the  boat  with 
delight.} 

See,  see! 
O  see !     Where  shall  we  sail  her? 


1 8  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIUSEPPE 

Round 
And  round  the  world  to  America  I 

LISETTA 
America  !  —  That's  fine !  —  Aha ! 

[Slowly  circling  the  fountain,  the  two 
young  lovers  fan  and  blow  the  toy  ship 
over  the  rippling  water,  keeping  her  close 
to  the  outer  rim,  as  they  follow,  singing:'] 

GIUSEPPE 
A  ship,  a  ship  a-sailing! 

It's  over  the  sea  she'll  carry  us; 
Over  the  sea  a-trailing 
By  moon  and  tide, 
My  own,  my  bride, 
We'll  marry  us ! 

Blow!     Blow! 
I'll  be  her  Triton! 

LISETTA 
Sail!     Sail! 
I'll  be  her  Mermaid! 

BOTH 

Into  the  west  and  waning  day 
We'll  sail  to  the  wonderland  far  away. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  19 

[While  they  sing,  many  of  the  peasant 
folk  gather  About  and  watch.'] 

LlSETTA 
A  ship,  a  ship  a-sailing ! 

Good-by,  old  cares  would  bury  us ! 
Good-by,  old  ache  and  ailing ! 
To  fortunes  fair 
To  fortunes  fair 
She'll  ferry  us. 

Sail!     Sail! 

Fllbe  her  Mermaid! 

GIUSEPPE 
Blow !     Blow ! 
I'll  be  her  Triton! 

BOTH 

Out  of  our  prison  of  poverty 
We'll  sail  to  the  fairyland  of  the  free  1 

[In  the  midst  of  their  singing,  a  young 
peasant  girl  —  of  sturdy  beauty  and  glow 
ing  intensity  of  expression  —  comes  out  of 
the  church.  Accompanied  by  SANDRO  and 
NOEL,  she  stands  on  the  steps.  She  looks 
eagerly  toward  the  prison  and  searches 
with  her  eyes  among  the  crowd. 


20  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

Seeing  her,  LISETTA  motions  silence  to 
GIUSEPPE  and  points.} 

LISETTA 
Maria!  —  Hush! 

GIUSEPPE 
[To  the  people] 
Be  still! 

MARIA 

[Calling]       • 

Giovanni ! 

[The  crowd  murmurs  and  draws  back, 
looking  at  her.  She  calls  again,  with 
poignant  cry:] 

Giovanni !  — 
Ah  no,  he  has  not  come ! 

SANDRO 

Pho!     Patience,  child! 
'Tis  patience  ripens  the  plum-tree. 

NOEL 

He  will  come. 

MARIA 

No,  no,  they  keep  him  from  me !     I  have  prayed 
To  all  the  holy  twelve  apostles. —  None 
Will  hear  me.     My  Giovanni  will  not  come. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  21 

[She  sinks  down  on  the  step  and  weeps. 
SANDRO,  LISETTA,  and  GIUSEPPE  gather 
round  her,  consoling .] 

SANDRO 

Why,  hoighty-toighty,  don't  thee  fret.     The  birds 
Be  singing.     Hark! 

LISETTA 
Mari',  I'll  tell  thee  tidings ! 

GIUSEPPE 

[Pointing  to  NOEL] 

Him,  yonder!     [To  SANDRO]     Has  she  heard? 

LISETTA 

American  — 
The  good  signore!     He  saved  our  Papa  Sandro! 

GIUSEPPE 
He'll  save  Giovanni,  sure ! 

LISETTA 

Paid  forty  lire ! 

SANDRO 

Our  taxes  —  every  soldo  paid !     And  see, 
He's  made  thy  picture ! 


22  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

[Turning  to  NOEL] 

May  she  look,  signore, 
To  see  herself  youVe  painted? 

NOEL 

Ah,  the  sketch : 
Of  course ! 

LlSETTA 

Come,  see ! 

[SANDRO,  GIUSEPPE  and  LISETTA  go 
with  NOEL  toward  the  easel;  MARIA  re 
mains  sitting,  dumb  and  disconsolate, ,] 

NOEL 
[Pauses,  looking  for  the  painting.] 

It's  gone !  —  I  left  it  here. 

SANDRO 
Aye,  here  it  lay. 

LISETTA 
Oh,  is  it  lost? 

NOEL 

Or  stolen  I 

[Trying  to  remember] 
Unless  I  left  it  yonder  in  the  church. — 
I'll  see. 

[He  goes  into  the  church.] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  23 

SANDRO 

'Twas  here,  Lisett' !     A  wonder,  too ! 
As  like  Marl'  as  my  two  thumbs  be  twins. 

GIUSEPPE 
And  kneeling  down  she  was,  all  lovely. 

LISETTA 

Look 
How  sad  she's  sitting;  hears  no  word  we  say. 

SANDRO 
'Tis  pity  she  be  so. —  What's  that  a-coming? 

GIUSEPPE 

Heigh,  there's  the  motion-picture  man !    Come  on, 
And  see  the  show. 

LISETTA 
[Glancing  back] 

But,  poor  Maria! 

GIUSEPPE 
[Pulling  her  and  SANDRO] 

Come! 
The  tent  is  open !     Soon  the  show'll  begin ! 

[From  behind  the  church  there  enters  a 
parade  of  donkeys,  with  gay  caparisons 
and  tinkling  bells;  the  final  ones  draw  a 


24  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

float  on  which  is  standing  an  image  of  the 
Statue  of  Liberty.  On  the  base  is  in 
scribed  AMERICA.  Each  donkey  is  laden 
with  colored  hand-bills,  which  boys  in  cos 
tume,  who  lead  the  animals,  scatter  among 
the  rabble  who  follow,  staring  and  point 
ing.  With  the  parade  enters  SCAMMON, 
waving  to  the  people  an  enormous  hat,  with 
gay  ribbons.] 

THE  CROWD 
[Braying  as  they  march] 

Hee,  haw,  han! 

Hee,  haw,  han ! 

March  with  the  motion-picture  man. 

SCAMMON 

Motion  pictures !     See  the  motion 
Pictures  fresh  from  across  the  ocean ! 

Free  to  all, 

Big  and  small! 

Boys  and  girls,  don't  miss  the  show. 
Every  pretty  girl  cries:  Oh! 
Every  fellow  answers :  Ah! 
Marry  me  in  America ! 

[The  crowd  shouts  and  repeats  the  re 
frain.] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  25 

Motion  pictures !     See  the  motion 
Pictures !     Come  and  get  a  notion 
What  they  be ! 
Come  in  free. 

Try  your  peep,  and  if  it's  pat 
Toss  your  penny  in  the  hat. 
Take  your  turn,  and  tell  your  Pa : 
Carry  me  to  America ! 

[ScAMMON  leads  the  way  into  the  tent, 
the  parade  of  donkeys  with  the  float  pass 
ing  outside  behind  it.  The  crowd  follow 
him,  pushing  one  another  as  they  pass  in 
side,  braying:] 

THE  CROWD 
Hee,  haw,  han! 
Hee,  haw,  han! 
March  with  the  motion-picture  man  I 

LISETTA 
[Gazing  back] 
Let's  bring  Maria. 

GIUSEPPE 
[Urging  her  in  with  SANDRO] 

Hurry !     Get  a  place ! 
[The  people  have  passed  within.     The 


26  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

tent  flap  is  closed.  On  the  church  step 
MARIA  is  left  alone.  Longingly  she  looks 
toward  the  prison;  then  turns  to  a  shrine 
of  the  Virgin,  that  peers  down  on  her  from 
the  church-wall.  Crossing  herself,  she 
gazes  up  at  the  image.'] 

MARIA 

Maria!     Mother-maid!     Be  good  to  me, 
Thy  maid,  Maria,  named  thy  holy  name ! 
And  for  the  saint,  who  was  thy  dear  Son's  friend, 
Be  good  to  my  Giovanni  —  named  for  him ! 
Giovanni  lies  in  prison.     He  is  poor. 
Long  time  he  worked  to  earn  a  little  land; 
The  crop  was  small,  he  could  not  pay  the  tax; 
And  so  they  put  him  in  the  dark.     But  now, 
The  almonds  all  are  blossomed,  and  the  birds 
Are  nesting  in  the  olives,  and  the  folk 
Make  festa,  and  the  fountain  laughs  out  loud 
And  flings  the  flying  rainbows  on  the  air, 
And  oh,  my  heart  it  calls:  "  Giovanni,  come! 
Come  to  the  vineyard,  where  we  were  so  glad, 
And  labored  in  the  warm  earth,  side  by  side! 
Come,  my  Giovanni !  "     But  he  cannot  hear, 
He  cannot  hear  me  crying  through  the  walls. 
Giovanni  lies  in  prison!     Pity  us! 
Maria,  maid  and  mother, —  set  him  free ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  27 

\While  she  has  made  her  prayer,  NOEL 
has  come  out  of  the  church  and  stood, 
nearby,  watching  her.  Now  gradually  her 
eyes  are  drawn  by  NOEL'S  gaze.  Slowly 
she  rises  and  speaks  wonderingly.~\ 
Who  are  you  ? 

NOEL 
I  am  Noel,  and  your  friend. 

MARIA 
You  spoke  to  me,  signore? 

NOEL 

No. 

MARIA 

I  thought 
You  asked  me  something. 

NOEL 

It  was  so,  my  child. 

MARIA 
What  did  you  ask  me  ? 

NOEL 
[Simply] 

Will  you  take  my  hand? 


28  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

MARIA 
Your  hand? 

[ Takes  it  confidently.] 

NOEL 
And  will  you  trust  me  ? 

MARIA 

You  are  kind. 
Why  do  you  take  my  hand  and  smile  at  me  ? 

NOEL 
Because  you  are  so  beautiful,  dear  child. 

[As  she  draws  slightly  back] 
Don't  be  afraid. — 

[Pointing  up  at  the  image] 

She  listened  to  your  prayer. 

MARIA 
How  do  you  know? 

NOEL 

I  heard  her  praying  too. 

MARIA 
The  Virgin !     For  Giovanni  ? 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  29 

NOEL 

For  all  souls 

In  prison,  and  all  simple  hearts  in  pain. 
She  heard  your  prayer. 

MARIA 
[Drawing  away] 

Where  is  Giovanni,  then? 
Where  does  he  come? 

[She  looks  about  in  growing  wildness.~\ 
You  see ! 

NOEL 

A  little  while 
Patience ! 

MARIA 

Ha,  patience,  so  they  tell  me  —  all ! 
Patience  —  to-morrow !     Next  day  and  next  day 
Patience!     They  fool  me.     But  I  know  the  plan! 
I  will  do  something  bad,  and  break  the  law. 
Then  they  will  put  me  too  in  prison  there 
With  my  Giovanni. 

NOEL 
No  — 

MARIA 

Yes!  he  was  good; 


30  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

He  did  no  wrong  thing;  he  was  only  poor. 
But  I  —  you  see  —  I  will  do  something  bad, 
To  go  to  him.     So  I  will  fool  them.     See  I 

{With    a    sudden    gesture    she    seizes 
NOEL'S  gold  watch  chain,  and  tears  it  away 
with  the  watch.     Then  she  rushes  to  the 
gate  of  the  prison  and  pulls  the  bell."] 
Open !     Come  out ! 

NOEL 

Maria,  child!     Take  care! 

MARIA 

[Beating  on  the  gate] 
Open!     A  prisoner! 

A  GUARD 
[Appearing  behind  the  bars] 

Here!     What's  the  row? 

MARIA 

Look  —  these   are  gold !     I   stole   them.     Open 
the  gate! 

NOEL 

[Approaching'] 
Absurd ! 

[The  Guard  comes  out.     Maria  takes 
hold  of  him  pleadingly.] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  31 

MARIA 
Take  me  in  there  with  you ! 

THE  GUARD 
[Putting  an  arm  about  her} 

My  bird, 
At  dark  I'll  meet  you  by  the  fountain. 

[He  is  about  to  kiss  her.  She  strikes 
him  in  the  face  with  the  chain."] 

MARIA 

So! 

Put  me  in  prison  now ! 

THE  GUARD 

[Clapping  one  hand  to  his  face,  knocks  her  angrily 
to  the  ground.] 

Don't  be  a  fool! 

[NOEL  springs  forward  and  lifts  her. 
From  the  tent,  SCAMMON  looks  forth 
through  the  flap.  NOEL  confronts  the 
Guard  and  takes  from  his  pocket  an  en 
velope.'] 

NOEL 
The  Warden  of  the  Prison  —  Show  me  in. 


32  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

THE  GUARD 
[With  surliness] 
What's  that?     You  want  admittance  here? 

NOEL 

I  bring 
This  letter  from  the  American  Consul. 

THE  GUARD 

Oh! 

[Glancing  at  the  letter,  the  Guard  allows 
NOEL  to  pass  inside,  then  follows,  shoving 
back  MARIA  and  shutting  the  gate.] 
This  way,  signore;  the  Warden  is  within. 

MARIA 

[With  a  passionate  cry] 
Take  met  • —  Signer1  Noel ! 

NOEL 

Be  good  and  wait. 

[NOEL  'disappears  inside  with  the 
Guard.  MARIA  clings  to  the  bars  of  the 
gate  and  shakes  it] 

MARIA 

Giovanni !  Giovanni !  Giovanni !     Oh,  dear  God ! 
[She  turns  away   and,  flinging  herself 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  33 

upon  a  seat  by  one  of  the  tables,  buries  her 
face  in  her  arms.  SCAMMON  approaches 
and  leans  over  the  table.] 

SCAMMON 
Excuse  me!     Have  you  seen  the  show? 

[MARIA  lifts  her  head  and  looks  toward 
him,  dazed.~\ 

A  moving  spectacle,  I  call  it! 
A  hot  time  for  a  two-cent  town 
And  quite  some  circus!     Will  you  see  it? 

MARIA 
What  do  you  say? 

SCAMMON 
[Seating  himself  opposite  her  at  the  table] 

I  say  —  Cheer  up  ! 

They're  rotten  here.     That  prison  guard 
He's  rotten;  and  they  treat  you  rotten 
Because  you're  poor  and  down-and-out. 

MARIA 
What  do  you  mean? 

SCAMMON 

I  mean,  my  dear, 
The  world  is  rotten  —  but  it's  round ! 


34  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

[He  picks  up  an  orange  from  the  table.] 
Round,  see  ?  —  And  so  it's  got  two  halves. 
[He  cuts  the  orange  In  two.} 

One  half  is  rotten,  and  one  —  ain't! 

This  rotten  half,  that's  Italy; 

This  ripe  one,  that's  America  I 

Cheer  up,  then :  Leave  the  rotten  —  Chuck  it  1 

The  ripe  and  juicy  —  grab  and  suck  it! 

[Tossing  away  one  half  of  the  orange, 
he  offers  the  other  half  to  her;  then  sucks  it 
himself }  with  a  laugh. 

MARIA  rises  and  turns  to  leave.'} 

Don't  go  I     A  little  juice  of  grape ! 
That's  better,  eh?     Some  wine ! 

MARIA 

To-day 

I  make  no  festa,  sir;  and  you 
Are  stranger. 

SCAMMON 
Me !     Ain't  you  Maria? 

MARIA 

[Turning,  astonished} 
MariM 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  35, 

SCAMMON 

And  my  good  friend,  Giovanni, 
In  prison  there  —  poor  Johnny ! 

MARIA 

[Eagerly] 

Ah! 
You  know  Giovanni? 

SCAMMON 

Do  I  know  him! 
Sit  down  again ;  I'll  tip  you  something. 

[MARIA  sits  again  opposite  SCAMMON.] 
One  day  in  spring,  I  saw  you  first 
Down  in  the  vineyards.     He  was  there, 
Grubbing  the  ground  about  the  grape-vines. 

MARIA 
Giovanni ! 

SCAMMON 

So  I  stopped  to  chin 
With  him,  and  chuck  an  eye  at  you. — • 
Right  in  a  sun-patch  you  were  bending 
To  tie  a  trellis,  when  your  hair 
Tangled  a  trailing  vine  and  spilled 
All  bright,  like  pouring  Chianti,  down 
To  your  bare  ankles,  and  your  eyes 


36  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

Laughed  up  like  beads  in  bright  Spumanti. — 
You  don't  remember,  ah? 

MARIA 

No,  no. 
But,  him,  Giovanni  —  you  are  friends? 

SCAMMON 

My  dear,  I  never  had  a  brother; 
But  if  I  had,  I'd  swap  him  double 
For  your  Giovanni  —  just  to  win 
So  pretty  a  sister  as  Maria. 

MARIA 

And  you  will  save  him  ?     You  can  help 
To  get  him  out  of  prison? 

SCAMMON 

Sure ! 

And  when  he's  out,  I'll  help  you  more ! 
Look  here !     I've  brought  you  in  my  pocket 
A  pretty  fortune  for  your  dowry. — 

MARIA 

[Eagerly,  as  he  takes  something  from  his  pocket. ] 
What  is  it? 

SCAMMON 

America !  —  It's  yours ! 
[He  hands  her  two  strips  of  paper.] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  37 

MARIA 
But  what  are  these  ? 

SCAMMON 

Your  steamboat  passage 
From  Naples  pier  to  New  York  harbor. 

MARIA 

America ! : —  And  these  for  me? 

SCAMMON 
One  for  yourself  —  one  for  Giovanni  I 

MARIA 

But,  sir,  we  cannot  buy  them  —  we 
Are  poor. 

SCAMMON 

Pish !     Not  a  cent  to  pay, 
I  have  a  pull  —  it's  my  profession  — 
And  lots  of  big  folks  are  behind  me. 
So  rest  your  heart,  my  dear.     Remember, 
I've  hooked  Giovanni  for  my  brother, 
So  you  must  be  my  little  sister; 
And  we  will  sail  away  together, 
All  three,  and  leave  this  rotten  country ! 

MARIA 

I  do  not  know  if  he  would  leave  it. — 
But,  sir,  how  can  we  pay  you,  thank  you? 


38  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

[At  the  prison  gate  NOEL  appears,  and 
comes  slowly  out,  unobserved.] 

SCAMMON 

My  pretty  sister  kid,  Maria, 
Don't  thank  me  thank-you's !     Only  maybe, 
If  I  should  ask  a  little  favor, 
Perhaps  you'd  favor  me? 

MARIA 

Whatever 
I  can,  with  all  my  heart,  and  gladly ! 

SCAMMON 

[Rises  with  an  easy-going  bow."] 
Excuse  me!     Have  you  seen  the  show? 
A  lively  little  joint  of  mine : 
A  keep-it-up,  kaleidoscopic 
Palace  of  pictures  on  the  flit 
Of  now-you-watch-'em,  now-you-wink-'em, 
And  now-you-think-'em  masterpieces ! 
In  short,  as  I  observed  before  — 
Excuse  me!     Have  you  seen  the  show? 

MARIA 
Not  yet,  I  thank  you. 

SCAMMON 

I'm  in  luck  then ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  39 

Permit  me,  I've  reserved  two  places. 
Just  take  my  arm,  and  I'll  — 

NOEL 
[Coming  forward] 

Beg  pardon! 
I  also  have  not  seen  the  show. 

MARIA 

[Starting  forward] 
Signer'  Noel !  — 

SCAMMON 
[Starting  back] 

Signor'  the  Devil! 

MARIA 
What  tidings? 

NOEL 
Hark,  and  you  will  hear ! 

THE  VOICE  OF  GIOVANNI 
[Calls  from  within  the  prison.] 
Maria ! 

MARIA 

[Starting  toward  the  gate] 
Ah !     Giovanni ! 


40  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

NOEL 
[Looking  keenly  at  SCAMMON,  motions  toward  the 

tent.] 

I  will  take 
That  second  place,  reserved. 

SCAMMON 
[With  a  flourish'] 

You  do  me  honor ! 

[Together  they  enter  the  tent,  and  dis 
appear.  GIOVANNI,  haggard  and  pale,  ap 
pears  in  the  corridor  behind  the  bars,  and 
hastens  forth  through  the  open  gate, 
which  the  GUARD  closes  behind  him,  re- 
entering  then  the  prison.] 

GIOVANNI 
Maria !  —  Art  thou  here  ? 

MARIA 

[Rushing  to  him  wildly] 
Giovanni  I 

GIOVANNI 

Here, 

Here  in  my  arms!     The  bars  are  broken. —  No! 
I  am  not  dreaming  now. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  41 

MARIA 

My  darling  —  free ! 

[  They  weep  and  laugh  as  they  embrace.'} 
It  was  the  sweet  Madonna  heard  my  prayer. 

GIOVANNI 

[Gazing  up  as  at  some  form  above  him} 
It  was  the  great  Madonna  of  my  dream. 

MARIA 

[Anxiously,  scanning  his  face} 
Giovanni,  thou  art  ill  ? 

GIOVANNI 
[Turning  to  her} 

Maria  mine, 
Thou  art  grown  pale ! 

MARIA 

Ah,  my  poor  boy,  to  put 
My  own  in  prison ! 
[Fiercely} 

Let  them  burn  in  hell, 
The  devils !  —  Dear,  we  shall  be  happy  now. 

GIOVANNI 

Ah,  thou  and  the  sweet  air  —  both  in  my  arms ! 
And  the  world  one  great  room,  and  the  blue  walls 
Upstanding  to  the  sun !     O  my  Mari', 


42  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

April,  and  out-of-doors,  and  home  once  more 
To  thee ! 

MARIA 

Once  more  the  happy  times !     And  we 
Will  sing  together  the  dear  April  song 
At  home  once  more,  in  the  old  out-of-doors. 
Remember  ?     Listen ! 

[Glancing  up,  she  points  into  the  bios- 
soms  of  the  almond  tree  above  the  foun 
tain.'] 

Him!  — That  little  bird 
Remembers:  April!     Hear  him! 

GIOVANNI 
[Laughing  for  joy~\ 

April!   April! 
[They  sing  together."} 

GIOVANNI  AND  MARIA 
Out-of-doors,  dear  Out-of-doors, 

April  keeps  your  house ! 
April  sweeps  your  cowslip  floors 

With  her  whirring  grouse ; 
Brings,  to  brush  your  rafter, 
Eagle-wings,  and  after  — 
Little  larks  to  chant  your  praise 
And  sprinkle  dews  on  holy  days. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  43 

April!     April!     Out-of-doors! 

Open :  let  us  in ! 
We  will  keep  your  cowslip  floors 

Clean  as  Capuchin. 
Out  of  sin  and  sorrow, 
Let  us  bid  good-morrow, 
Share  your  house,  and  sing  your  praise 
And  sprinkle  dews  on  holy  days ! 

[Repeating  the  refrain,  GIOVANNI 
breaks  suddenly  off  with  a  sharp  sob  and 
throws  himself  on  the  bench.~\ 

GIOVANNI 
No,  no !     Not  now !     Not  now  1 

MARIA 
[Going  to  him] 

Giovanni  mine  I 

GIOVANNI 
No   more   like   the   old   times!     Him,    him   up 

there  — 
He  can  sing  "  April,"  ah,  but  I  no  more ! 

MARIA 
But  thou  art  free. 


44  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIOVANNI 
[Bitterly] 
Free,  O  Maria! 

MARIA 
[Consolingly] 

Now 
We  are  together. 

GIOVANNI 

Yes,  I  take  thy  hands, 
I  touch  thy  face,  I  hold  thee  to  me, —  ha, 
But  not  in  here  —  not  here ! 
[Beating  his  heart] 

Still,  still,  the  bars 

They  break  my  heart!     They  close  me,  all  alive, 
In  a  cold  cage,  a  coffin !     Am  I  free  — 
A  jail-bird  ?     Can  a  jail-bird  sing  of  joy 
And  April,  like  that  happy  heart  with  wings? 
Thee  —  can  I  wed  thee,  sweetheart,  in  a  cage  ? 

MARIA 
Why,  now  'tis  open. 

GIOVANNI 
[Pointing  toward  the  iron  gate] 

No !     They  dipt  my  wings 
In  there !     They  put  me  in  a  prison  coat 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  45 

And  painted  me  with  shame.     And  now  —  and 

now 

Wherever  I  shall  go,  the  crowd  will  point 
And  cry!     See,  see!     The  jail-bird!     Hear  him 

sing! 

Ha,  ha,  his  painted  feathers!     See  him  hop! 
Hohof  his  head  is  stuck  between  two  bars!  — 
My  God!     My  God! 

MARIA 

Giovanni,  come  away! 

Forget    the    dark    cage.     Leave    it    behind    us! 
Come ! 

GIOVANNI 
Where  can  we  go? 

MARIA 
Back  to  the  vineyards  —  home ! 

GIOVANNI 

Home  I     And  once  more  the  taxes,  and  once  more 
No  hope  to  pay !     Work,  but  no  wage  to  live, 
To  marry !     Hark,  Marl' :  Behind  those  walls, 
I  walked,  and  walked :  Always  I  said  two  words 
Over  and  over,  awake  —  asleep,  two  words : 
Liberty  —  opportunity!     Sometimes 
I  sang  them  loud,  like  when  the  soldiers  march 


46  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

By  two  and  two:     Liberty!  Liberty!     Loud 
Like  trumpets  calling:  Opportunity! 

MARIA 

[With  a  rapt  look,  sinking  beside  him} 
Giovanni ! 

GIOVANNI 

Then  they  struck  me  with  their  guns : 
Silence!  they  growled,  and  laughed  at  me  for  mad. 
But  in  the  lonely  silence  and  the  dark, 
I  dreamed  of  her  —  I  dreamed,  and  from  the  dark 
She  came! 

MARIA 
[With  awe~\ 
Who  came,  Giovanni? 

GIOVANNI 

The  great  Virgin : 

Maiden  and  mighty  mother  —  pitiful 
Madonna  of  the  poor!     My  prison  walls 
Were  mist,  and  all  the  floor  like  ocean  fog, 
And  thou  and  I  were  kneeling  in  the  night, 
And  millions  more  with  burdens  on  their  backs 
Were  huddled  round  us  there.     But  soon  the  dark 
Burst,  and  a  mighty  hand  came  through  the  mist, 
Holding  a  torch,  where  swarming  bees  of  fire 
Blazed  gold  with  morning!     Then  her  limbs 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  47 

Rose  through  the  light  and  stood  on  the  blue 

waves, 
And  round  her  head  sharp  rays  shot  out  like 

thorns, 
And  on  her  brow  was  burning  Liberty. 

MARIA 

[Rising  eagerly] 

Liberty  1     And  she  stood  on  the  blue  waves ! 
Yes,  yes,  the  dream  was  true.     We  will  go  forth 
And  find  her,  thou  and  I  together,  far 
Across  the  world.     Look  here !     These,  these  are 

ours, 
To  make  our  voyage  together. 

[She  shows  him  the  tickets.     He  looks 
at  themt  bewildered.] 

GIOVANNI 

What  are  those? 
MARIA 

[With  excitement'} 
Our  passage  to  America.     You  see ! 

GIOVANNI 
[Pensively] 

America !     Many,  who  dream,  go  there ! 
Some,  they  come  back;  the  most,  they  come  no 
more. 


48  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

[Looks  about  him  yearningly.] 
Mari',  our  Italy  is  beautiful ! 

MARIA 

Ah,  beautiful  and  bad  I     See  my  poor  boy 
So  worn  and  pale.     What  chance  is  here  —  the 

prison, 
Taxes  and  soldiers  1  — •  We  are  poor. 

GIOVANNI 

I  know; 

God  gives  no  fatherland  to  poverty. 
Ah,  but  to  have  a  little,  just  enough 
For  thee  and  me,  Maria ! 

MARIA 

[Shows  the  tickets  again  with  a  smile.'] 
Here's  enough! 

GIOVANNI 
How  came  those  here  ? 

MARIA 

A  good  American 
Gave  them,  a  friend  of  thine. 

GIOVANNI 

American ! 
His  name? 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  49 

MARIA 

I  do  not  know.     'Tis  there  he  went 
Yonder, —  see,  now,  where  'Seppe  and  Lisett' 
They're  coming  out. 

LlSETTA 

[With  excitement  to  GIUSEPPE] 
Where  is  he  ? 

GIUSEPPE 
[Pointing  to  GIOVANNI] 

There !     Come  on ! 
[They  rush  joyfully  toward  GIOVANNI.] 

GIUSEPPE  AND  LISETTA 
Giovanni ! 

GIOVANNI 
[Embracing  them] 
'Seppe !     Little  Lisa  mine  I 

GIUSEPPE 
Free!     Free  on  festa  day! 

LISETTA 
[Hugging  MARIA] 

God  bless  thee,  sister! 

MARIA 
[Kissing  her] 
Aye !     So  he  has ! 


50  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIUSEPPE 

I  told  thee  so,  Mari', 
The  good  American  would  save  him  too. 

GIOVANNI 
American? 

GIUSEPPE 
[Pointing  toward  the  tent} 

In  yonder.     Aye,  he  told  us. 
[Seeing  SANDRO  come  from   the  tent, 
he  calls  :~\ 
Heigh,  Sandro! 

LISETTA 

[Also  calling  and  beckoning'} 
Papa  Sandro! 

GIUSEPPE 

Come!     He's  free!  — 
Giovanni  I 

SANDRO 
[Hurrying  over} 

Saints  and  mass !     'Tis  him !  — 
[With  blubbering  gladness,  he  hugs  and 
kisses  GIOVANNI  and  MARIA.] 

My  boy ! 
My  girl  —  my  boy ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  51 

GIOVANNI 
[Patting  him'] 
Good  Papa ! 

MARIA 

He's  come  back. 
SANDRO 

[Holding  him  by  both  hands,  looking  at  him'] 
Eh,  thou's  grown  lean,  Giovann';  we'll  fat  thee 

up! 

Go,  'Seppe,  borrow  twenty  soldi :     Wine  1 
Cakes !     Festa ! 

[Calling  to  the  crowd  that  begins  to 
come  forth  from  the  tent~\ 

Ho !  Hallo !     Come  see  our  boy, 
Giovanni  1 

[At  SANDRO'S  call,  a  crowd  of  young 
people  come  running  and  throng  round 
GIOVANNI,  shaking  his  hands  and  hailing 
him  joyfully.] 

THE  CROWD 
Giovanni !     Viva  Giovanni !     'Vanni ! 

GIOVANNI 

Heigh,   fellows,   girls,   halloa !     Thank  you,  my 
friends ! 


52  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

How  good  and  fair  you  stand  in  the  sweet  sun ! 
God  be  with  you,  and  April !     Now,  good-by, 
For  I  am  tired  and  strange,  and  the  bright  day 
Dazzles  my  eyes. 

[He  turns  away.~\ 

THE  CROWD 

No!  No!  — Stay!     Stay! 

SANDRO 

'Tis  f esta ! 
GIOVANNI 

Festa,  'tis  not  for  me,  dear  friends.     I'm  strange 
And  tired  and  will  go  home. 

THE  CROWD 

No!     No! 
THE  WINESHOP-KEEPER 

Aha! 
He  hides  his  face,  the  jail-bird! 

GIUSEPPE 
[Leaping  at  him~\ 

So !     I'll  break 
Thy  head,  for  that! 

LlSETTA 
[Screaming] 

Giuseppe ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  53 

THE  WINESHOP-KEEPER 

Bah! 

[They  struggle  together  and  are  sep 
arated.  Amid  the  commotion,  MARIA 
leads  GIOVANNI  away  toward  the  left.'] 

MARIA 

Don't  mind. 

[As  GIOVANNI  turns  away,  wearily'] 
Wait  yet!     The  American  —  he's  coming  there; 
Let's  stay  and  see. 

[On  the  church  steps  they  pause;  GIO 
VANNI,  sinking  down,  buries  his  face  in  his 
hands.  Beside  him,  MARIA,  standing, 
looks  toward  the  tent  where  SCAMMON 
comes  forth  carrying  his  great  hat.  The 
hat  is  now  filled  with  little  images  of  the 
liberty-statue.  These  he  takes  out  by  the 
handful  and  tosses  among  the  people,  as  he 
comes  forward,  singing:] 

SCAMMON 

Mascots!  Mascots! 

This  one,  that ! 
Put  'em  in  your  pocket, 

Pin  'em  in  your  hat! 


54  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

Mascots!  Mascots! 

Santa  Liberta! 
See  the  little  saint  who  comes 

From  America! 

Luck  and  opportunity, 
Liberty,  immunity, 
All  may  have  who  pray  to  her. 
Simply  shout  Hurray  to  her ! 

Ha!  ha!  ha! 

Santa  Liberta! 

THE  CROWD 

[Catching  the  little  images  and  waving  them~\ 
Ha!  ha!  ha! 
Santa  Liberta! 

[GIOVANNI  has  started  up  in  excitement 
and  speaks  half  to  MARIA,  half  to  him- 
self:] 

GIOVANNI 

Liberty, —  Opportunity  —  those  words ! 
[Staring  at  one  of  the  images] 
And  see  —  her  lifted  torch !  her  brow  of  thorns ! 

[ScAMMON,  surrounded  by  the  crowd, 
mounts  upon  one  of  the  tables.] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  55 

SCAMMON 

A  show!     A  show! 
Give  all  folks  a  show ! 
Big,  small,  high,  and  low, 
To  each  what  he'd  ought  to ! 
Nothing  to  no  man: 
That's  my  motto ! 
Boys,  I'm  the  show  man : 
How  did  it  go  ?  — 
Some  lively? 

THE  CROWD 
[With  laughter] 
Oh!  Oh! 

SCAMMON 
Too  lively? 

THE  CROWD 
No!  No! 

SCAMMON 
Just  lovely? 

THE  CROWD 
Yes!  Yes! 

SCAMMON 

A  great  show,  I  guess ! 
Then,  hearkee,  my  children :  before  I  go, 
I'll  tell  you  a  story. 


56  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIOVANNI 
[To  MARIA] 
Come  nearer. 

SCAMMON 

Presto ! 

[Inverting  his  great  hat,  now  empty, 
upon  the  table,  he  seats  himself  on  its 
crown. 

Here  he  smiles  down  on  their  upgazing 
faces,  and  holds  them  spellbound  by  his 
gestures.'} 

At  the  end  of  the  rainbow,  you've  all  been  told, 
Lies  buried  a  wonderful  pot  of  gold: 

(But  maybe  you  don't  believe  it!) 
The  King  of  the  West,  when  he  buried  it  there, 
Says  he :     "  In  this  spot  no  dog  will  dare 

To  dig  up  my  pot  to  thieve  it !  " 

Now  the  King  of  the  East  was  a  merry  cuss, 
And  so  was  his  cousin,  Sir  Co-lum-bus : 

(Though  maybe  you  don't  believe  me !) 
And  Americus  said:     "  Columbus,  friend, 
I  can  smell  a  pot  at  the  rainbow's  end, 

If  my  nose  it  don't  deceive  me !  " 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  57 

So  west  they  sailed  on  the  ocean  blue; 

It  was  Fourteen  Hundred  and  Ninety-Two: 

(If  my  horoscope  don't  heave  me!) 
And  for  each  good  fellow  that  follows  his  nose, 
In  the  west  a  pot  of  gold  still  grows. — 

Go  and  look,  if  you  don't  believe  me  1 

SANDRO 
[Staring] 

A  pot  of  gold ! 

A  PEASANT 
His  oats  are  sorrel! 

ANOTHER 

It's  a  fairy  tale ! 

SCAMMON 
Aye !     With  a  moral ! 

The  pot  is  Opportunity  — 

The  gold  inside  is  Liberty  — 

GIOVANNI 

[Excitedly  to  MARIA] 
You  hear !     You  hear  him ! 

SCAMMON 

So  I  say  — • 
Come  away 
To  my  land  of  milk  and  honey: 


58  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

Hives  of  happy 
Humans  humming, 
Live  and  sappy 
Milching  money !' 
Business  drumming, 
Drones  becoming 
Bossing  drivers, 
Up-and-alivers 
Of  all  ages 
Whooping  hearty; 
Every  party 
Spending  wages  1  — 
Each  poor  man  he 
Has  his  palace: 
Ribbons  for  Annie, 
Rings  for  Alice! 
Every  pay-day 
Like  a  May-day 
Morn  is  spent  there, 
Gay  as  crickets 
Chirping  hey-day. — 
Come,  your  tickets  1 
In  the  tent  there ! 
Pack  your  staples ! 
Buy  your  tickets, 
Straight  from  Naples 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  59 

To  the  land  of 
Luck  and  liberty  — 

NOEL 

[Coming  forward] 
Flibberty-gibberty ! 
Take  your  hand  off ! 

ScAMMON 
What's  that? 

NOEL 
Gammon ! 

That's  your  game,  sir: 
Fuddle  'em,  foozle  'em, 
Blind,  bamboozle  'em, 
Lie  in  wait  and 
Toss  your  bait  and 
Land  your  salmon ! 

SCAMMON 
All  the  same,  sir  — 

NOEL 

Mark  you,  Scammon  I 
That  land  you  mock,  America, 
Is  dear  to  me  —  my  mother-land; 
And  I,  who  love  her,  know  too  well 
Her  bitter  fight  with  prowling  greed 
And  hungry  want  by  her  own  hearth, 


60  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

To  save  the  children  at  her  knees ! 

Yet  they  who  clamor  round  her  doors  — 

The  wandering  children  of  the  world  — 

She  welcomes  still,  but  not  unwarned : 

"  Come  with  your  sorrows !     Come !  "  she  cries, 

"  But  come  not  blinded  to  the  truth:  — 

The  woes  you  fly  await  you  still. 

Not  mine,  not  mine,  the  promised  land! 

Beyond  it  lies,  beyond  —  for  all 

Who  seek  to  follow —  still  afar." 

[While  NOEL  has  spoken,  SCAMMON 
has  dispatched  into  the  tent  one  of  his  page 
boys,  who  returns,  bringing  him  the  paint 
ing  of  Maria.  GIOVANNI  now  springs  for 
ward  and  shows  his  tickets  to  NOEL.] 

GIOVANNI 
Signore  I     Why,  then,  give  us  these  ? 

NOEL 

[Looking  in  surprise'} 
It  was  not  I. 

GIOVANNI 
Not  you? 

SCAMMON 
[Interrupting] 

No,  no, 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  61 

My  friend,  'twas  I  who  gave  you  those. 
This  fellow,  he  would  like  to  keep 
Your  sweetheart  here. 

GIOVANNI 
[Starting] 

Maria  ?r— Him! 
[Turning  to  MARIA] 

You  said  —  the  good  American  I 

MARIA 
I  meant  —  the  other  one. 

SCAMMON 

Excuse  me ! 

I  know  this  fellow.     He  likes  to  paint 
Your  sweetheart.     Look! 

[He  shows  the  painting  to  GIOVANNI, 
who  gazes  at  it,  astonished.] 

GIOVANNI 

Maria  —  thou ! 
[To  NOEL] 
You  painted  this? 

NOEL 

[Nodding  toward  SCAMMON] 
For  him  —  to  steal. 


62  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

SCAMMON 

When  you  were  there  in  prison,  he 
Passed  time  with  her. 

GIOVANNI 
[Disturbed] 
Aha! 

MARIA 

Signer' 
Noel  was  kind  to  us. 

GIOVANNI 

\Wiih  'vague  suspicion] 
Aha? 

NOEL 

[To  GIOVANNI] 
I  painted  her, —  a  rough  sketch,  but 

[Handing  it  back  to  GlOVANNl] 
'Tis  yours !     All  I  have  said  is  true. 
IVe  warned.     I  have  to  say  no  more. 

[NoEL  nods  slightly,  passes  among  the 
crowd  and  goes  out.  GIOVANNI  stands 
looking  at  the  painting.'} 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  63 

MARIA 

[To  GIOVANNI] 
What  makes  thee  frown?     He  means  us  well. 

GIOVANNI 

[Moodily  hands  the  painting  to  GIU 
SEPPE,  who  stands  near.'] 
Aha!     Yes,  Yes. 

SCAMMON 

The  tent  is  open ; 
Who  comes  for  tickets? 

GIOVANNI 

Wait  I     Italians, 

My  townsfolk !     We  have  lived  together  ; 
Together  we  have  worked,  and  you 
Have  seen  me  go,  like  many  more, 
To  prison,  for  our  poverty: 
And  now  I  say  —  For  me  there  is 
No  hope,  no  glad  to-morrow  here. 
So  I  will  go  where  this  man  tells 
Of  liberty  and  joy  for  all  — 
America !     Maria,  wilt 
Thou  go  with  me  ? 

MARIA 

[Going  joyfully  to  hini\ 
Giovanni,  come! 


64  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIOVANNI 

[  Turning  with  her  to  the  crowd] 
America  I  • — :  Who'll  come  with  us  ? 

THE  CROWD 

[Shout'] 
America  I 

SCAMMON 

Here  comes  your  saint 
To  bless  your  passage. —  Tickets,  there! 

[From  behind  the  tent,  the  float  of  the 
Liberty  statue  comes  forth  again,  pulled 
by  the  donkeys,  into  the  midst  of  the  peo 
ple.  On  its  pedestal  the  page-boys  stand 
holding  out  tickets,  which  are  reached  for 
by  uplifted  hands  in  the  crowd.] 

THE  CROWD 
[With  a  great  shout] 
America  1     Santa  Liberta! 


CURTAIN 


ACT  SECOND 


ACT  SECOND 

Sea-fog,  dense  and  gray,  obscures  the  scene. 
Out  of  the  dimness  issue  mysterious  sea-sounds; 
hoarse  whistlings  of  steamboats,  the  tolling  of  a 
bell-buoy,  chuggings  and  sharp  hoots  of  tugs,  the 
sucking  water-noises  of  a  ship  in  motion;  recur 
rently,  the  harsh,  deep  blare  of  a  fog-horn. 
Slowly  a  filtering  dawn-light  reveals  the  blurred 
outlines  of  a  steerage  deck,  the  prow  of  an  ocean 
liner;  huge  stanchions  and  windlasses,  smooched 
with  mist,  and  beyond  —  out  of  the  wash  of  gray 
air  (on  the  right)  —  the  bulging  of  upper  cabins, 
with  ladder  stairs  roped  of.  Now  and  again, 
from  the  obscure  background  loom  ghostly  shapes 
of  water-craft,  glimmer  slant  wings  of  sea-gulls. 
Half  distinguishable,  grouped  on  the  deck,  amid 
stacked  bundles  and  boxes,  hooded  in  shawls  and 
outlandish  gear  —  huddle  the  Immigrants.  Un~ 
moving,  expectant,  patient,  their  faces  peer  through 
the  mists  beyond  the  prow.  There  an  American 
flag,  blown  backward  rippling,  gives  token  of  the 
onward  motion  of  the  vessel. 

67 


68  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

In  a  group  near  the  forward  railing  are  SANDRO, 
MARIA,  GIOVANNI,  LISETTA,  and  GIUSEPPE. 
The  boy  and  girl  are  seated  a  little  apart  from  the 
others,  and  between  the  deep  blasts  of  the  fog 
horn,  their  young  voices  are  heard  singing  to  each 
other: 

LISETTA 
A  ship,  a  ship  a-sailing! 

Good-by,  old  griefs  would  bury  us! 
Good-by,  old  ache  and  ailing ! 
To  fortunes  fair 
To  fortunes  fair 
She'll  ferry  us. 

Sail!  sail! 

I'll  be  her  Mermaid. 

GIUSEPPE 
Blow !  blow ! 
I'll  be  her  Triton. 

BOTH 

Out  of  our  prison  of  poverty 
We  sail  to  the  fairyland  of  the  free ! 

[While  they  sing,  the  dawn  light  has  in 
creased  in  power,  permeating  the  fog  with 
glowings  of  faint  color,  Watching  it,  the 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  69 

Immigrants  now  move  restlessly,  and  a 
deep -murmured  "  Ah!  "  passes  from  group 
to  group,  like  a  rustling  of  low  wind] 

A  GROUP  ON  THE  RIGHT 
Morning!  the  morning! 

A  GROUP  ON  THE  LEFT 

Soon  the  shore ! 

[Again  the  murmured  "Ah!"  breathes 
over  all.  Again  the  deep  whistles  and 
strange  sea  noises,  out  of  the  fog.~\ 

GIOVANNI 

Maria,  dost  thou  hear  them  round  us  — 
The  monsters  of  the  ocean  moaning? 

MARIA 

Like  lowing  bulls  they  sound,  Giovanni  — • 
Old  bulls  that  bellow  in  the  pastures 
At  home. 

GIOVANNI 

They  are  the  old-world  dragons 
Dying!     Bad  dreams,  that  follow  after 
And  call  in  pain,  and  die  in  the  fog  there. 
[They  watch  and  listen.] 

THE  GROUP  ON  THE  RIGHT 
Harbor!     The  Harbor! 


70  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

THE  GROUP  ON  THE  LEFT 

Soon  we'll  land! 

MARIA 

[After  A  pause] 
Hark  —  a  bell  tolling! 

GIOVANNI 

Lonely,  lonely, 
It  called !     I  heard  it  call  in  prison. 

[With  growing  excitement'] 
Ah,  strange!  for  walls  and  floor  and  rafters 
They  made  a  misty  ocean  round  me 
In  prison  there,  like  now  —  and  yonder ! 
I  have  been  here  before  —  but  dreaming. 
Then,  then  her  great  hand  burst  the  fog-bank! 

[He  springs  to  his  feet.] 
Mari' !  Mari' !     Soon  we  shall  see  her! 

[He  peers  into  the  fog  that  begins  to 
break.] 

MARIA 
iWho?     Who,  Giovanni? 

GIOVANNI 
[Kneeling] 

The  great  Madonna! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  71" 

[Gazing  where  he  points,  MARIA  sinks 
down  beside  him.  Seeing  their  action,  the 
other  Immigrants  thrill  with  an  immense 
murmur,  and  sink  also  to  their  knees.  Far 
up,  a  ray  of  morning  has  broken  the  mys 
terious  background  and,  where  it  parts  the 
fog,  a  colossal  hand  appears,  holding  a 
torch,  touched  by  the  keen  radiance  of  day. 
Slowly  like  a  garment  the  luminous  fog 
sweeps  backward  to  shoulder  and  limbs  and 
torse,  then  wholly  unveils  —  austerely 
beautiful  —  the  Statue  of  Liberty.'} 

THE  IMMIGRANTS 
[Pointing  and  gazing  in  wonder'} 
Ah!— Ah!—  " 

[Raising  their  arms  as  in  prayer,  they 
burst  into  song.} 
Mother  holy !     Mother  holy ! 

You  have  led  afar 
Us  the  lone,  the  poor,  the  lowly 

Pilgrims  of  your  star. 
By  your  bright  and  thorny  brow, 
By  your  lifted  hand,  whose  light 
Warned  our  wanderings  through  the  night, 
Bend  and  smile  upon  us  now  — ; 
Liberty !     America ! 


72  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

Mother  holy !     Mother  queenly ! 

Khan  and  king  and  czar 
Cast  upon  our  hearts  obscenely 

Wrong  and  pain  and  war. 
Yet  in  kraal  and  lonely  moor 
Camp  and  city,  far  winds  blew 
Dreams  of  those  who  died  for  you, 
Dear  redeemer  of  the  poor- — : 

Liberty !     America ! 

Mother,  hear  us!     Mother  holy! 

Homeless  as  we  are, 
Let  us  share  your  hearth,  and  slowly 

Heal  our  pain  and  scar! 
Give  our  dreaming  power  to  do; 
By  our  labor  bless  our  bread; 
Raise  our  birthright  from  the  dead; 
Make  us  flesh  and  blood  of  you, 

Liberty  1     America ! 

[GIOVANNI  rises  among  the  kneeling 
figures y  and  cries  to  them  with  exalted  ex 
citement:] 

GIOVANNI 
Hosanna  1     We  have  looked  upon  her  face ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  73 

We  have  touched  the  holy  garments  of  our  Dream, 
And  she  has  lifted  up  her  gracious  hand 
And  blessed  us  at  her  feet. —  Our  faith  was  true  I 
Hosanna,  friends !     Hosanna  to  our  dream ! 

THE  IMMIGRANTS 

[Getting   to    their  feet   with   a  great 
shout] 
Hosanna  1 

SANDRO 
[Jubilant] 

Now  your  little  bundles,  boys ! 
Come  in,  girls,  in !     And  look  ye  leave  behind 
No  pretty  duds  aboard. 

MARIA 

Giovanni,  come! 

[MARIA  and  GIOVANNI  go  within. 
Gathering  LISETTA  and  GIUSEPPE  under 
his  big  arms,  SANDRO  pushes  forward  to 
the  entrance  of  the  steerage  cabin  —  fol 
lowed  by  the  others,  who  disappear  inside, 
murmuring  with  excitement. 

NOEL,  who  has  entered  above  from  the 
upper  cabin,  looks  down  from  the  rail,  then 
off  in  the  foa.~\ 


74  THE  IMMIGRANTS 


NOEL 

America,  dear  motherland  of  men, 
Age  after  age  lodestar  of  immigrants, 
Hark  to  these  peoples  crying  in  the  mist! 
Here,  where  you  loose  your  cities  on  the  sea, 
Leviathans  of  lightning  —  spire  on  spire, 
Palace  and  hanging  garden  of  the  waves, 
Whose   spacious   splendors   house    the   lords   of 

life  — 

Here,  under  all,  cramped  in  their  vitals,  swarm 
The  seekers  after  life  —  the  slaves  of  toil, 
.With  hearts  of  yearning.     O  remember  these  • — • 
And  feed  the  awful  hunger  of  their  hearts! 

[NoEL  goes  off,  above,  as  GIOVANNI 
and  MARIA  reenter  from  below.  GIO 
VANNI  carries  a  box  on  his  shoulder, 
MARIA  a  bundle  in  her  hand.  They  go 
toward  the  prow  and  put  them  down.~\ 

MARIA 

[Pointing  of  through  a  rift  in  the  fog~\ 
Look  there,    Giovanni  I     Towers !  —  the   golden 
towers ! 

GIOVANNI 
God  gives  his  heavenly  city  for  our  home: 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  75 

New  York  —  the  new  world,  where  all  races  meet 
In  brotherhood. 

MARIA 

So  high,  so  fair,  so  strong! 
The  campaniles  of  the  bright  new  world! 
It  must  be  all  one  great  cathedral.     See ! 

GIOVANNI 

And  my  Maria  dressed  as  she  should  be 
To  enter  as  a  bride. —  Come,  where's  thy  veil, 
For  we  will  go  together  from  the  ship 
To  find  a  little  chapel  and  a  priest 

MARIA 
'Tis  in  the  box. 

GIOVANNI 

Then  open  —  put  it  on ; 
For  there  will  be  no  holier  day  than  this 
In  all  our  lives. 

[Beside  them  Is  a  little  traveling  box. 
They  bend  together  over  it,  and  undo  it. 
MARIA  takes  out  a  simple  white  veil.~\ 

MARIA 
'Tis  here,  Giovanni. 


76  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIOVANNI 

Lift 
Thy  face,  so ! 

[He  helps  her  put  it  on.] 

MARIA 
[Smiling  up  at  him] 

Is  it  pretty? 

GIOVANNI 

If  I  saw 
That  smile  in  hell,  I  would  be  happy  there. 

[He  kisses  her.  Enter  SCAMMON,  from 
the  lower  cabin.  He  approaches  them  — >. 
a  sheet  of  paper  in  his  hand.] 

MARIA 

[To  GIOVANNI] 
Where  shall  we  go,  after  the  chapel? 

GIOVANNI 
[Gayly] 

Ah, 

We'll  find  a  little  vineyard  in  the  land 
That  nestles  near  those  towers,  and  work, 
Work,  my  Mari',  in  the  fresh  new-world  fields 
Together,  and  each  festa  day  I'll  buy  thee 
New  gowns  like  a  grand  lady. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  77 

MARIA 

And  LisettM  — 
And  wine-cakes  too  for  Papa !  — 

GIOVANNI 

Aye,  Lisett', 

'Seppe,  and  Papa  Sandro  —  all !     We'll  live 
Like  crickets  in  the  clover,  all  together ! 

SCAMMON 
[Grinning'] 

Like  crickets  in  the  mowing-machine !  —  Hello ! 

[With  a  laugh,  he  holds  out  his  sheet  of 
paper  to  GIOVANNI.] 
The  immigration  officer  —  he  wants  you. 

GIOVANNI 

Me? 

SCAMMON 
You. 

GIOVANNI 
Before  we  land? 

SCAMMON 
[Nodding'] 

You'll  find  him  yonder. 


78  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIOVANNI 
Wait  here,  Maria. 

[He  goes  inside. ~\ 

MARIA 
[Calling  after  him} 

Come  back  soon,  Giovanni ! 

SCAMMON 
[ Approaching  her} 
A  salt  wind  and  a  sunny  voyage 
Are  paint  and  cream  for  the  complexion ! 
The  red,  red  roses,  little  sister, — 
I  see  they're  all  in  bloom  this  morning. 

MARIA 
Why  do  they  send  now  for  Giovanni  ? 

SCAMMON 
[Smiling'} 
Your  veil,  my  dear,  is  so  becoming! 

MARIA 

[Growing  anxious} 
Why  do  they  want  him  ?     Tell  me,  tell  me ! 

SCAMMON 

Poor  Johnny  I     Hi  ho,  'tis  a  pity. — 
You  see,  Giovanni's  been  in  prison. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  79 

MARIA 
Yes— -yes? 

SCAMMON 
So,  in  America 

The  law,  it  says  that  if  a  fellow 
Has  ever  served  a  time  in  prison — • 

MARIA 
[  Tensely] 
Well,  well? 

SCAMMON 

He  must  not  pass  the  border. — t 
They  will  not  let  him  land. 

MARIA 

Giovanni  I 

My  God  I     You  mean  they  will  not  let  him 
Enter  your  country  ? 

SCAMMON 

He's  forbidden. 

MARIA 
[Rushing  toward  the  lower  cabin,  is  stopped  by 

SCAMMON.] 
Giovanni !     Let  me  go !     Giovanni ! 

SCAMMON 
Hold  on !     Don't  run  and  make  a  noise  there. 


8o  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

You'll  only  make  it  worse  for  Johnny 
If  you  go  talking. —  Wait,  and  listen! 
You  let  me  fix  it. 

MARIA 

How  can  you  help  us  ? 
Why  did  you  never  tell  us  yonder 
In  Italy? 

SCAMMON 

Your  friend  the  artist  — 
How  could  I  know  that  he  would  blab  it, 
Giovanni's  secret? 

MARIA 

What !     He  told  them  - 
Signer1  Noel? 

SCAMMON 

Who  else !  —  The  devil 
Fetch  him !  —  But  leave  it  all  to  me,  now ! 
Sure,  it  may  take  a  little  time  to 
Deport  him  back  to  Naples  — 

MARIA 
[Breathlessly] 

Naples  I 

SCAMMON 

A  month,  say  —  Then  we'll  plan  it  better 
Next  time  he  crosses.     In  the  meanwhile  — 


THE  IMMIGRANTS 


Look!  do  you  see  the  city  shining? 
Yonder  I  have  a  cozy  lodging 
Where  you  can  wait  for  him,  and  rest  you 
After  the  voyage  — 

MARIA 
[Appalled] 

And  let  Giovanni 
Go  back  alone ! 

SCAMMON 

You'll  have  to  stay  here ; 
You've  got  no  ticket. 

MARIA 
[Beseechingly] 

Give  me  another; 
Let  me  go  back  with  him ! 

SCAMMON 

My  kiddie, 

In  Italy,  you  said  you'd  do  me 
A  little  favor. —  YouVe  forgotten? 

MARIA 
[Aloof] 
No ;  I  remember. 

SCAMMON 
Then  I'll  ask  it; 


82  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

[He  approaches  her  with  insidious  gal 
lantry.'] 

Red,  red  lip 

And  a  smile  to  snare, 
Trailing  slip 

Of  black,  black  hair, 
Charming  tip 

Of  chin  in  the  air, 
Curving  hip, 
Glance  like  a  whip, 

Tang  and  flare 
Of  a  tacking  ship  — 
Sure,  for  a  sip 

Of  your  wild-wine  savor !  — • 
Red,  red  lip, 

Rose  mouth  rare, 

Do  me  fair 

One  little  favor  I 

MARIA 
[Drawing  back] 

I  do  not  understand,  sir. —  What  ? 

SCAMMON 
One  little  favor! 
This: 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  83 

Just  for  the  flavor  — 

Kiss! 

[He  seizes  her  suddenly  and  kisses  her. 
She  staggers  back  with  a  sharp  cry.'] 

MARIA 

Ah !  Ah !     Maria  Virgin,  he  has  lied ! 
God  I     He  has  spat  upon  our  holy  dream ! 

[On    the   upper   deck   NOEL    appears. 

He  springs  down  the  ladder,  as  SCAMMON 

presses  closer  to  MARIA,  who  stares  at  him, 

dazed.'} 

SCAMMON 
Eyes,  dark  eyes, 
And  girl  behind  them, 
You  drive  a  fellow 
Drunk,  to  look 
Deeper,  deeper 
Through  the  lashes ! 
What's  a  veil  for? 
Lift  it,  kiddie, 
For  another 
Kiss  to  — 

[He  takes  hold  of  her  'veil.     With  a 

scream,  she  tears  it  fiercely  off,  and  holds  it 

away  from  himJ\ 


84  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

MARIA 
Ha! 

Not  that ! 

NOEL 

[Seizing   SCAMMON   by   the   shoulders, 
flings  him  backJ\ 
Once  more ! 
Once  more  you  scatter  poison  in  your  trade. 

SCAMMON 

So-ho,  there!  —  You  are  in  this  Jack-pot,  too? 
You're  beat,  my  boy.     I  hold  four  aces  here. 
The  scoop  is  mine. 

NOEL 

[Pointing  to  the  cabin  door~\ 
Go! 

SCAMMON 
[With  an  ugly  glance"] 

Bluff !     She's  mine,  I  say ! 
[He  moves  toward  MARIA.     NOEL  in 
tervenes.      They  seize  each  other  and  strug 
gle.     With  strong  clutch,  NOEL  overpow 
ers  SCAMMON,  hurling  him  on  the  deck.'} 

NOEL 
Poor  crawling  bunkum ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  85 

SCAMMON 
\With  bravado,  rising] 

I'll  show  you  aces  yet! 
[He  goes  of.     MARIA,  who  has  gazed 
at  the  struggle,  bewildered,  goes  now  to 
NOEL  -passionately  —  as  a  child '.] 

MARIA 

Giovanni  —  they  will  take  him  from  me.     Help 
us! 

NOEL 

Be  calm,  my  dear.     Now  tell  me :  What  has  hap 
pened? 

MARIA 

He  said  Giovanni  cannot  go  ashore 
Because  he  was  in  prison.     'Tis  your  law, 
He  said. —  Oh,  is  it  a  lie  ? 

NOEL 
[Gravely] 

It  is  the  law. 

MARIA 
No,  no !     But  see  —  the  towers !     The  tall  bright 

towers 

Beautiful  there !     How  can  he  leave  them  now ! 
Help  us,  signore ! 

[She  clings  to  him.'] 


86  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

NOEL 

I  will  try,  dear  child. 
[He  puts  his  arms  protectingly  about 
her.     GIOVANNI  enters  downcast.     Seeing 
them,  he  starts  and  pauses,  staring J\ 

GIOVANNI 

The  dream  —  it  fades.     Ah,  fog  and  ocean  bell 
Lonely,  lonely,  they  call ! 

MARIA 
[Seeing  him,  gives  an  eager  cry.] 

Giovanni ! 
[She  hastens  toward  him.] 

GIOVANNI 
[Darkly] 

Ha! 
Where  is  your  veil? 

MARIA 

[Not  heeding] 

The  good  signore,  he 
Has  come  to  give  us  comfort. 

GIOVANNI 

In  his  arms. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  87 

MARIA 

[Pausing  at  his  strange  look] 
He  came  — 

GIOVANNI 
[With  a  kindling  glance  at  NOEL] 

He  came  before  —  the  good  signore ! 

MARIA 
He  will  not  let  them  keep  you. 

GIOVANNI 
[Quickly-] 

So  you  knew! 
MARIA 
He  knows  about  —  the  prison. 

GIOVANNI 

He  knows  well, 
I  see! 

MARIA 

[With  coming  tears'] 
Giovanni,  courage! 

[She  moves  to  embrace  him.     He  draws 
back,  speaking  sharply.] 

GIOVANNI 

Where's  your  veil  ? 


88  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

MARIA 

[Reassuringly] 
Ah,  no !     I  did  not  let  him  touch  it. 

GIOVANNI 

No? 
You  took  it  off  first ! 

MARIA 

[Pointing  to  the  veil] 
There. 

GIOVANNI 
[Approaches  her,  his  eyes  gleaming.'] 

A  kiss?     To  give 
A  kiss,  ah? 

MARIA 
[Quivering] 
Yes. 

[She  turns  away  and  takes  up  the  veil] 
But  now  —  forget ! 

GIOVANNI 

Forget  I 

[He  bursts  into  harsh  laughter] 
Aha !     Forget  —  forget  he  kissed  my  bride, 
The  good  signore ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  89 

MARIA 
[dppalled] 

No! 

NOEL 
[To  GIOVANNI] 

You  have  mistaken  — - 

GIOVANNI 

Mistaken,  much  mistaken !  —  Yes,  my  God, 
I  will  forget. 

MARIA 
[  Trying  to  make  htm  listen] 

Not  him !  —  It  was  the  other. 

GIOVANNI 

Yes,  yes  —  forget  —  a  veil  torn  off,  a  kiss, 
A  friend  betrayed  to  prison,  a  dear  bride 
Consoling,  ah,  a  good  signore  — 

MARIA 
[Wildly] 

Stop! 
Giovanni,  hear  me !  —  Scammon,  it  was  Scammon! 

GIOVANNI 

Aye,  Scammon,  Scammon !     Long  ago  he  told  me 
How  it  would  be. 


90  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

[To  NOEL] 

You  painted  well,  signore ! 
Upon  her  knees  you  painted  her  —  so  lovely, 
Praying,  in  tears !     I  kept  your  painting. —  See  ! 
[Pointing  at  MARIA,  who  has  sunk  upon 
her  knees,  clutching  him.~\ 
Still,  still  she  prays. 

MARIA 
Giovanni,  hear  me,  hear  me  I 

NOEL 

[To  GIOVANNI] 
Wait!     You  are  wrong  —  most  wrong! 

GIOVANNI 

Wrong,  yes !  but  now 
I  will  be  right.     I  will  forget  —  forget 
You  are  the  good  signore,  such  great  artist 
American  —  and  me,  and  me,  a  jail-bird 
Caged  in  the  rotting  dark,  with  a  dead  dream 
To  fill  my  nostrils.     See  now!     Even  a  jail-bird 
Can  venture  to  salute  a  grand  signore 
And  strike  his  proud  false  face  — 

[Crumpling  MARIA'S  veil  in  his  hand, 
he  strikes  NOEL  on  the  face.] 

• — like  sol 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  91 

[  There  is  silence  —  breathless.  NOEL 
stands  immovable  and  calm;  his  eyes  gaze 
straight  before  him.  MARIA,  still  on  her 
knees,  with  lifted  hands,  watches  fearfully. 
GIOVANNI,  who  has  recoiled,  looks  at  himf 
slowly  awed.] 

NOEL 
[Quietly,  after  a  pause] 

Giovanni, 

The  lie  of  Scammon  struck  that  blow  —  not  you. 
[He  looks  at  GIOVANNI  with  gentle 
ness.  Slowly  MARIA  rises,  and  holds  out 
her  arms  toward  GIOVANNI.  For  a  mo 
ment  GIOVANNI  stares  from  NOEL  to 
MARIA;  then  with  a  great  sob  he  goes  to 
her  arms.] 

MARIA 
[With  tears] 
My  boy  bore  too  much  pain. 

GIOVANNI 

His  will  be  done  I 
God  sent  us  both  the  good  signore. 

[They  turn  to  NOEL,  about  to  kiss  his 
hand,  but  he  moves  away  with  a  faint 
smile] 


92  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

NOEL 

Come! 

If  I  may  give  you  proof  I  am  your  friend, 
Follow  me  I 

GIOVANNI 

[Following  him,  dazed] 
Where,  signore? 

NOEL 
[Pausing  at  the  foot  of  the  rope  ladder] 

To  my  cabin. 
MARIA 

[With  a  look  of  hope] 
The  upper  deck! 

NOEL 

[To  GIOVANNI] 

When  Scammon  comes  to  find  you 
Here  in  the  steerage,  I  will  hide  you  —  yonder  — ; 

[He  points  above.] 

In  my  own  cabin,  smuggle  you  to  shore ! 
Here,  put  this  coat  around  you. 

[He  takes  off  his  great  coat,  and  throws 
it  about  GIOVANNI.  GIOVANNI'S  face 
lights  with  emotion.  He  turns  and  kisses 
MARIA,  then  follows  NOEL  up  the  ladder] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  93 

GIOVANNI 

Still  I  am  dreaming ! 
[On   the  lower  rungs,   suddenly   he   is 
seized  from  below  by  SCAMMON,  who  en 
ters  through  the  lower  cabin  door.] 

SCAMMON 
[Stridently] 
Wake  up,  then! 

MARIA 

[With  a  muffled  cry] 
Ah,  be  quick ! 

SCAMMON 

A  smuggling  game ! 

[He  is  followed  by  an  Official,  and  sev 
eral  men.     Dragging  down  GIOVANNI,  he 
points  from  him  to  NOEL,  addressing  the 
men.] 
Him  there,  and  him ! 

[The  men  seize  both.  The  Official  di 
rects  the  men  to  handcuff  them.  From  the 
other  lower  door,  GIUSEPPE  enters,  fol 
lowed  by  SANDRO  and  LISETTA  —  and 
soon  by  many  others.] 


94  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

THE  OFFICIAL 

The  immigrant  —  take  care 
Of  this  one !  —  You,  the  other  fellow.     Quickly ! 

NOEL 
Who  gave  you  orders,  sir? 

GIOVANNI 

Let  go! 

GIUSEPPE 

Heigh,  there! 
What's  wrong? 

[Calling] 

Ho,  Papa  Sandro  I 

MARIA 

Save  him ! 
LISETTA 
[To  SANDRO,  rushing  forward  with  GIUSEPPE] 

Come! 
SANDRO 
[Bewildered] 
So  —  are  we  landing? 

MARIA 

Help! 
[The  fog  again  is  clearing.     The  Immi- 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  95 

grants  begin  to  pour  out  of  the  doors  upon 
the  deck,  hurrying  with  their  bundles,  call 
ing  to  one  another.] 

THE  IMMIGRANTS 

Ashore  I     Ashore ! 

[GIOVANNI  is  dragged  away,  gagged. 
MARIA  fights  fiercely  with  the  men.  Sev 
eral  hold  her  back.] 

MARIA 

Ah,  cowards  1  bullies !  rats  of  hell !  r—  My  boy, 
Give  me  my  boy,  Giovanni ! 

THE  OFFICIAL 
[Pointing  to  GIOVANNI  and  NOEL] 

Take  them  in ! 
[  The  men  force  them  to  the  door] 

NOEL 

[Calls  to  MARIA.] 
Take  heart,  child !     I  will  bring  him  back  to  you. 

SCAMMON 
I'll  keep  you  safely,  kiddie,  till  he  comes ! 

[NOEL  and  GIOVANNI  are  forced 
within] 


96  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

MARIA 
Ah,  Yirgin  I     Save  me,  and  Giovanni ! 

SCAMMON 
[Jubilantly] 

Aces! 

[He  waves  to  her,  tossing  a  kiss.  As 
she  cries  out,  SANDRO,  GIUSEPPE  and 
LlSETTA  surround  her. 

The  clearing  fog  begins  now  to  reveal 
4 —  though  still  vaguely  —  the  outlines  of 
the  tall  buildings  of  Manhattan,  towering 
near  by  above  the  waters. 

The  Immigrants,  staring  and  gesticu 
lating  in  excitement,  point  to  the  shore, 
shouting  in  a  chorus  of  great  cries:] 

THE  IMMIGRANTS 
The    shore!     New   York!     The    city!     Towers 

and  towers ! 
The  new  world  I     Towers  —  towers  of  the  new 

world ! 

CURTAIN 


ACT  THIRD 


ACT  THIRD 

An  alley  in  the  slums  of  New  York:  a  stifling 
night  in  midsummer.  Dimly  lighted,  the  squalid 
street  swarms  with  forlorn  figures  —  women  in 
shawls)  bare-headed;  scant  clothed  children;  men 
frowsy  and  listless;  old  and  young  restive  with 
the  heat.  Bowed  shapes  slouch  in  dingy  door 
ways;  gaunt  mothers,  crooning,  fan  little  babies; 
pale  faces,  in  upper  windows,  gaze  down  panting. 
By  gutters  and  littered  steps,  others  are  sleeping. 

From  the  left  foreground  rises  a  tall  building, 
disappearing  in  the  dark  above.  Behind  this  a 
side-alley  leads,  left,  off  the  scene.  The  main 
alley  slants  in  shadow  to  the  right  background. 
Here,  above  the  lower  roofs,  the  glare  of  the  city 
suffuses  the  night  sky.  Far  up  in  the  centre  of 
this  opening,  glitters  an  electric  sign  —  a  stark 
advertisement,  outlining  in  white  light  an  image  of 
the  Bartholdi  statue,  beneath  which  blaze  the 
words:, 

LIBERTY 

STORAGE  VAULTS 

In  the  tall  building,  left,  shadows  of  women, 

99 


ioo  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

seated  with  heads  bowed  sewing,  are  cast  dimly 
from  within  through  the  dirty  whitewashed  panes. 
Under  these  windows  a  lead  pipe  with  rickety 
faucet  drips  water  to  the  gutter.  Here  at  times  a 
child  or  grown  person  drinks  from  the  tap,  or  lets 
the  water  run  on  bare  wrists  and  arms. 

When  the  scene  opens,  there  is  little  definite 
sound  above  the  hum  of  the  surrounding  city,  and 
the  murmur  of  the  restive  people,  who  stand  or 
move  exhausted.  By  a  heap  of  refuse,  a  woman 
• —  rocking  her  baby  • —  sings  faintly. 

THE  WOMAN 
Lo-lo,  by-lo,  my  bambino ! 
Papa  bring  a  pretty  candle, 
Mamma  make  a  little  festa. 
Lo-lo,  by-lo  — 
[She  breaks  off  with  a  moan] 

SEVERAL  WOMEN 

Ah  — ah! 

A'  WOMAN 
Look  now,  the  pretty  soul ! 

ANOTHER 

Poor  dear, 
She'll  bury  him;  the  milk  was  bad. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS'  toi 

A  GIRL 
[From  an  upper  window,  begins  singing  gayly  to 

the  popular  Italian  tune:] 
O  Margueri'  — 

A  YOUNG  MAN 

[Below] 

Shut  up,  you  there ! 
You  make  a  fellow  dream  of  home. 

THE  GIRL 
[More  faintly'] 
O  Margueri' — 

[She  stops  wearily.  By  the  side  alley 
SANDRO  enters  with  GIUSEPPE.  Both  are 
worn-looking  and  despondent.  They  go 
to  the  door  of  the  tall  building  and  stop  on 
the  step.] 

SANDRO 

Here,  'Seppe,  sit; 
Our  girls  are  late  to-night. 

GIUSEPPE 

Lisett' 
Is  working  overtime,  she  said. 

SANDRO 
Too  sick  she  is! 


102  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIUSEPPE 

God  knows!     They  broke 
The  sweat-shop  strike;  she'd  lose  her  job. 

SANDRO 
And  me  can  get  no  job  but  sweat  I 

[Mopping  his  brow} 
Sweat  water  by  the  gallon : — Saints, 
To  sweat  some  wine ! 

GIUSEPPE 

This  heat  is  hell. 

SANDRO 
iWas  twenty  more  died  yesterday. 

GIUSEPPE 

Hardly  my  wages  pay  the  rent 
To  house  us  in  that  rotten  hole. 

[He  starts  up,  with  hands  clenched."} 
O  God,  if  I  could  kill  something 
To  save  Lisett'. 

SANDRO 

And  poor  Mari' ! 

They  work  too  long,  my  little  girls. 
Hark! 

[A  bell,  with  chimes,  strikes  the  hour. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  103 

SANDRO  rises,  counting  the  strokes  on  his 
fingers.] 
Ten  o'clock!     Now  they'll  be  coming. 

[The  seated  shadows,  thrown  on  the 
fanes,  rise  and  disappear  from  the  win 
dows.  Soon  after,  through  the  doorway 
come  forth  forlorn  groups  of  young  girls, 
who  merge  with  the  crowd  and  semi-dark 
ness.  Among  them,  inconspicuous,  comes 
MARIA  with  her  arms  about  LISETTA,  who 
'droops  against  her.  Even  in  the  half- 
light,  their  altered,  pale  looks  are  visible. 
As  they  come  slowly  out,  SANDRO  and  GIU 
SEPPE  move  forward.] 

GIUSEPPE 
[Eagerly] 

Lisetta! 

MARIA 
[With  a  gesture  of  warning] 

Hush. 
^[Leading  her  gently] 

A  little  way, 
Sister.     'Tis  cooler  out  of  doors. 

[With  a  stifled  cry] 
Papa !  she's  fainted. 


104  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

[Supporting  LlSETTA,  MARIA  sinks 
down  with  her  upon  the  steps,  while 
SANDRO  and  GIUSEPPE  hover  above  them.} 

SANDRO 

Ha,  my  pet, 
Look  up:  here's  Papa. 

GIUSEPPE 

Hold  her  head 
Lower. 

MARIA 

Fetch  water !     There  —  the  tap. 
[She  points  to  the  faucet  under  the  win 
dows.     GIUSEPPE  hurries  to  it,  fills  his 
hollowed  hands  and  returns.] 
Over  her  face! 

[GIUSEPPE  dashes  the  water,  hurries 
again  to  the  tap,  fills  a  tin  cup  —  taken 
from  his  pocket  —  and  comes  back.] 

SANDRO 

[Weeping  big  tears'} 
My  pretty  flower! 
Lisett',  my  little  humming  bird ! 

[Several  persons  come  round  them, 
dully  curious .] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  105 

A  MAN 
Halloa,  what's  happened  there? 

A  WOMAN 

Oh,  nothing; 
Only  another  one  = —  a  girl. 

ANOTHER  WOMAN 
What  did  they  say  ? 

ANOTHER 

Her  lungs !  —  the  heat ! 
[They  disperse  wearily. ] 

MARIA 

[Soothingly  to  LISETTA] 
So,  so !     She's  looking  up. 

[Holding  the  tin  cup] 

Some  water ! 
Drink,  my  Lisetta ! 

LISETTA 
[Sipping,  she  sits  up  and  murmurs  faintly.] 

Water  • —  cool 
Water !  • —  Maria,  listen ! 

[She  smiles,  with  a  gesture  mysterious.'] 

'Seppe, 

Be  very  quiet;  listen!     Dripping, 
Dropping,  dripping  —  can  you  hear  it? 


io6  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIUSEPPE 
I  hear  it,  little  one. 

LISETTA 
[Beckoning] 

Ah,  but  lower, 

Your  heads  down  lower !  —  Papa,  'Seppe, 
So:- — softly!     You  might  startle  'em.     So! 
Now  peep  between  my  fingers  —  yonder! 

[She  nods  toward  the  rickety  faucet.] 
There,  do  you  see? 

SANDRO 

I  see  a  gutter- 
Tap,  and  water  dripping. 

LISETTA 
[Joyfully] 

Dripping, 

Dropping,  dripping,  from  their  mossy 
Shoulders,  under  the  almond  blossoms ! 
See  how  they  play  behind  the  rainbows, 
And  slip  their  shining  limbs  through  bubbles. 
She  swims  so  fast,  he  blows  his  sea-horn! 
Aha,  but  he  can  never  catch  her 
For  all  his  splashing,  for  you  see,  dears, 

[She  murmurs  sadly:] 
They're  made  of  stone  —  they're  made  of  stone. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  107 

GIUSEPPE 

[To  MARIA,  his  'voice  trembling] 
She  means  the  Mermaid  and  the  Triton ! 

LISETTA 
[Pensively] 

Boy  of  stone,  girl  of  stone 
Can  never  marry,  can  never  marry. 

[Brightening] 

Don't  mind,  for  they  can  play  together. 
And  that's  a  secret. — 'Seppe,  dear, 
I  know  your  secret  now. 

GIUSEPPE 
[Hoarsely] 

What  is  it? 

LISETTA 

Don't  tease.     You  made  me  pay  my  fine. 
I  cannot  kiss  you  twice. —  A  boat! 
A  little  boat  with  sails,  with  sails ! 
But,  O  —  I  found  it  out  too  late  ^-* 
We  sailed  her  the  wrong  way. 

GIUSEPPE 

How  so? 


io8  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

LlSETTA 

We  sailed  her  west,  to  find  the  pot 
Of  gold  —  but  O,  the  sun  had  set 
So  dark,  so  dark:     The  great  Madonna, 
She  could  not  tell  us  where  to  find  it. 
She  told  us  we  must  sew  and  sew 
Stitches  and  stitches,  but  the  night 
It  used  to  be  so  hot,  'twas  hard 
Even  to  breathe. 

SANDRO 
[Breaks  down,  blubbering'} 

My  babe!     My  babe! 

LISETTA 

You  know,  the  great  Madonna's  house 
It  really  is  so  dirty  there 
And  cramped  for  room  and  little  to  eat 
I'm  sure  she  must  be  very  poor. 
But  what  you'll  hardly  quite  believe  — • 
The  little  children  —  never  sing! 

GIUSEPPE 

O  fire  of  hell!     If  I  could  throw 
A  bomb,  and  burst  her  rotten  house 
To  pieces ! 

MARIA 
Hush! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  109 

SANDRO 
[Weeping  aloud] 

My  darling  bird ! 

LISETTA 

Now,  'Seppe,  Papa, —  dears,  don't  cry! 
Just  wait  —  I  haven't  told  the  best! 
The  pot  of  gold  —  guess  where  it  lay 
All  the  long  while ! 

MARIA 
[Where,  dear? 

LISETTA 

'Twas  hidden 

Under  the  fountain,  right  at  home ! 
So  now,  you  see,  our  little  boat  — 
We'll  sail  her  home  again!     Come,  'Seppe! 
Quick,  Papa  Sandro, —  your  guitar ! 
Play  us  "  Rosella,  Giovanniello !  " 
And  sing  it,  Papa,  while  we  dance 
All  on  the  deck. 

SANDRO 
[Groaning] 
What  shall  I  do? 

MARIA 
Play!     Play!     Pretend! 


no  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

[Drying  his  eyes  with  the  back  of  his 
hand,  SANDRO  strikes  a  pose  as  if  he  were 
holding  a  guitar ,  an d  assumes  a  forlorn  ap 
pearance  of  jollity.'} 

SANDRO 
[Thrumming    the    vacant    air    with    his    fingers, 

sings:~\ 

O  Rosella,  Giovanniello ! 
Come  away  to  San  Qucntino! 
He  is  dancing  down  from  heaven 
Where  his  laughing  angels  are  — 
[His  voice  grows  husky;  he  stops  sing 
ing  but  continues  to  thrum  pathetically,  his 
tears  streaming  down,  while  merry  strains 
of  the  imaginary  dance  tune  sound  elusively 
in  the  night.  ] 

LlSETTA 

Dance  with  me,  'Seppe  !     How  we  sail, 
And  dance,  and  dance  and  sail! 

SANDRO 
[Sings] 

Where  his  laughing  angels  are : 
San  Quentino  he's  a  good  fellow 
When  he  twangs  his  sweet  — 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  in 

[SANDRO  breaks  down;  the  dance  tune 
ceases.'] 

LISETTA 

Don't  stop ! 

Vineyards  —  the  vineyards !     Home  once  more ! 
So  ever  afterwards  they  lived 
Happily  —  all  together. 

GIUSEPPE 
[To  MARIA] 
Look! 
Lookl  is  she  fainting? 

MARIA 

No,  but  tired. — 
Her  eyes  they  close.     She'll  sleep. 

LISETTA 
\With  shut  eyes'] 

Mari>, 

It  is  so  cool  to  be  at  home. 
At  home,  the  water  always  drips, 
The  fountain  children  spout  and  play: 
Dripping  —  listen !  —  dropping,  dripping, 
Cool,  so  cool! 

SANDRO 
\_Sobbing~\ 
Ah  — ah! 


ii2  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

MARIA 
[Motioning  silence] 

She  is 
Asleep. 

[She  'takes  SANDRO'S  coat  from  under 
his  arm,  where  he  carries  it,  and  lays  it, 
folded,  under  LISETTA'S  head.] 

We'll  let  her  sleep  outdoors. 
She  needs  the  air. 

GIUSEPPE 
[Harshly] 
Air,  air  I  A  loaf 

Of  bread  that  breathes  an  oven's  sweat 
Breathes  sweeter  than  my  darling.     Wait! 
I'll  go  and  see  the  good  folks  yonder 
In  the  settlement,  and  ask  if  they 
Will  let  her  sleep  upon  their  roof. 

MARIA 

That's  right.     Go  with  him,  Papa.     I'll 
Wait  for  you  here. 

SANDRO 

Don't  leave  her,  child. 
Sing  low,  and  let  the  water  drip  — 
Her  little  golden  gutter-fountain ! 
Oh,  Lord,  the  nights  at  home  —  the  nights  at 
home! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  113 

{With  GIUSEPPE,  he  goes  off  right,  rub 
bing  his  eyes,  and  sniffling  deep  sobs. 
MARIA  remains  sitting  on  the  steps,  under 
a  street  lamp  —  LISETTA  lying  beside  her. 
She  smooths  the  young  girl's  dress  about 
her,  and  caresses  her  brows,  singing  low:~\ 

MARIA 
In  the  great  Madonna's  house 

Are  many  doors: 
Angels  dark,  angels  bright, 

Float  by  me  down  the  candle-lighted  floors. 
But  one  in  gray,  who  glides  about, 
Blows  my  candle  out  — 
Blows  my  candle  out, 
Singing:     Rest! 
Little  soul,  rest! 
Sleep  is  best. 

[She  pauses,  looking  away  wistfully; 
then  resumes,  more  low:] 

In  the  great  Madonna's  house 

Are  day  and  night: 
Fairies  glad,  fairies  grim, 

Water  strange  flowers  with  woe  and  with  de 
light. 


n4  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

But  one  who  wears  a  star  of  blue 
Fills  my  cup  with  dew, 
Fills  my  cup  with  dew, 

Singing:     Rest! 

Little  flower,  rest! 

Sleep  is  best. 

\_C easing,  MARIA  sits  staring  before 
her,  seeing  only  her  thoughts.  Thus  she 
does  not  see  where,  among  the  forlorn 
denizens  of  the  alley,  a  man,  dressed  in 
spruce  white  suit  of  silk  and  Panama  hat, 
has  entered  and  watched  her.  The  man  is 
SCAMMON.  Before  MARIA  has  ceased 
singing,  he  has  spoken  low  to  several 
among  the  people,  pointing  back  along  the 
alley.  Following  his  gesture,  some  have 
already  gone  in  that  direction.  Now  he 
speaks  to  those  remaining,  and  points 
again.] 

SCAMMON 

Free  drinks !     Iced  drinks  around  the  corner ! 
A  ricky  in  your  lemonade ! 

[Muttering,  most  of  the  people  move 
of  and  disappear.  The  space  near  the 
steps  where  MARIA  sits  is  deserted. 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  115 

SCAMMON  approaches  her,  but  she  neither 
sees  nor  hears.  He  bears  himself  jaun 
tily,  and  has  evidently  had  his  snack  of 
liquor.  Peering  toward  her,  he  sings, 
puffing  a  cigar  in  his  pauses.] 

I  met  her,  mooning  on  the  street 

Down  Broadway  to  the  Bowery: 
I  stood  my  kid  a  fiver  treat, 
But  she  —  she  wouldn't  stand  for  it  — 

Not  she ! 

"  Nothing  doing!     Nothing  doing!  " 
The  kiddie  sang  to  all  my  cooing! 

I  told  her :     "  Let's  be  moving  on 
Down  Broadway  to  the  Bowery. 
Let's  try  a  Nicolodeon!  " 
But  she  —  she  wouldn't  wink  at  one, 

Not  she ! 

"  Nothing  doing!     Nothing  doing!  " 
It's  all  I  won  for  all  my  wooing! 

\_Standing  in  front  of  MARIA,  he  moves 
his  hand  across  the  line  of  her  set  gaze. 
Starting,  she  looks  at  him,  with  slow  recog 
nition.'} 

MARIA 
Scammon !     You ! 


n6  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

SCAMMON 

That's  me!     Who  else, 
Kiddie  ?     What  did  you  take  me  for  — 
A  Christmas  angel  off  his  beat, 
Or  a  postcard  Valentine? 

[He  laughs,  and  puffs  his  cigar.'} 

MARIA 
[Dully'] 

What  brings  you? 
[Rising,  stands  over  LlSETTA.] 
Don't  wake  her  —  she's  asleep. 

SCAMMON 
[Looking  closer,  starts  and  changes  his  tone.~\ 

Lisetta ! 

Christ,  how  the  pretty  rose  is  wilted ! 
What  do  you  let  her  look  like  that  for? 

MARIA 
[Grimly] 

Me  let  her— 'I 

SCAMMON 

Sure,  it's  all  your  doing. 
I  offered  fair  to  set  you  both  up 
In  town  here,  with  a  cozy  lodging  — 
Lifts,  call-boys,  baths,  electric  lighting, 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  117 

Park  windows,  jolly  cool  apartments, 
And  motor  rides  and  theatre  parties ! 
You  turned  me  down. —  What  made  you  do  it? 

[MARIA   leans   against   the    lamp-post, 
and  looks  penetratingly  at  SCAMMON.] 

MARIA 
Both  of  us  —  ha ! 

SCAMMON 

Yes,  both.     Oh,  come  now! 
A  bid  like  that  ain't  on  the  market 
To  go  abegging.     Gad,  IVe  dealt  in 
You  immigrants  by  dozens,  hundreds !  — • 
I  never  made  a  better  offer: 
Two  sisters,  guaranteed  together. 
Why  don't  you  take  me  up  ? 

MARIA 
[Bitterly} 

Together ! 
Lisetta  mine ! 

SCAMMON 

Look  what  youVe  made  her ! 
She'll  never  fetch  bids  from  another 
Now.      You,     though  —  you     have    kept    your 
flavor. 


n8  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

Maria,  come  away,  I  tell  you, 
And  leave  this  stifling,  stinking  alley 
For  jolly  sights  and  cool  sea-breezes. 

MARIA 
[Fiercely] 

Go,  go,  go !  —  Go  now ! 

SCAMMON 
[With  a  laugh] 

Nothing  doing, 
Again !  —  Why  then,  so  long,  my  dearie ! 

[Tossing  his  cigar  away,  he  lights  a 
fresh  one,  and  strolls  leisurely  away,  glanc 
ing  back  at  her,  as  he  lilts  his  song  again:] 

I  lit  myself  a  new  cigar 

Down  Broadway  to  the  Old  Coquette. 
Says  I :     "  The  drinks  on  me  they  are  I  " 
But  she,  she  wouldn't  cross  the  bar  — 

Not  yet! 

"  Nothing  doing!     Nothing  doing!  " 
It's  chew  the  rag,  and  keep  on  chewing. 

[As  his  song  ceases  in  the  dimness, 
MARIA  sinks  down  again  by  LISETTA,  with 
passionate  cry.] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  119 

MARIA 
Giovanni !     My  Giovanni ! 

SCAMMON 
[Peering  back,  pauses  and  returns.'] 

Beg  your  pardon ! 
Who  are  you  waiting  for  ? 

MARIA 
[Deeply] 

Giovanni. 

SCAMMON 

So! 
Then  you'll  have  long  to  wait,  my  dear. 

MARIA 

May  be; 
Yet  he  will  come  —  Giovanni.     The  good  sig- 

nore, 

Noel,  he  said  to  me  — "  Keep  heart,  for  I 
Will  bring  him  back  to  you." 

SCAMMON 

The  good  signore 

Might  be  mistaken,  kiddie.     I  heard  news 
This  morning,  at  the  immigration  house. 


120  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

MARIA 
[Starting  up] 

About  Giovanni?     You  have  news  of  him? 
Is  —  is  he  well? 

SCAMMON 

Now,  kiddie,  don't  you  cry. 
Giovanni  —  he  is  dead. 

MARIA 
[Slowly'] 

Giovanni  dead ! 

SCAMMON 

In  Italy. —  He  died  of  fever  there 
Last  month.     His  friend,  Noel,  he  buried  him. 

MARIA 
Giovanni  —  dead ! 

SCAMMON* 

The  case  is  changed,  you  see. 
Giovanni  dead,  he  cannot  want  you  now. 
You  need  not  wait  for  him.     A  friend  in  time 
Can  take  his  place  —  save  you  and  poor  Lisett'. 
My  offer  still  holds  good. 

MARIA 
[Motionless] 

Giovanni  —  dead ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  121 

SCAMMON 

No  tears,  my  kid  —  that's  gamey !     So,  by  Gad, 
A  knockout  punch  and  still  you're  in  the  ring! 
You  see  now  how  it  works :     This  rotten  hole, 
The  sweltering  night,  the  sweat-shop  all  day  long, 
The  little  sister  wilting  hour  by  hour  — 
You  see  now  how  this  little  hell  can  change, 
All  in  a  moment,  to  a  happy  time 
Of  rest,  gay  sights  and  coolness.     So,  my  girl! 
No  gush !     By  God,  but  you're  magnificent ! 
Your  eyes  they're  shining  lovelier  in  this  alley 
Than  under  your  own  olives,  and  you  bloom 
White  as  a  lily  from,  this  pile  of  dung. 
Now  you  are  free,  by  Christ,  I  love  you  more 
Than  all  your  vineyard  wines.     My  honey,  look! 

[He  shows,  from  his  pocket,  a  great 
heap  of  greenbacks^ 

Here's  stuff  that's  better  than  bright  olive  leaves : 
Bills,  bills, —  green  bills !  they'll  thatch  your  roof, 

my  rose, 

My  sweet  Mari' !     I  love  you.     Now  you  are 
free  — 

[With  sudden   flash   of  steel,    MARIA 
stabs  him.     He  falls,  with  a  low  groaning.'] 
Ah  — Ah  — 

[A  pause  of  silence  follows. ] 


122  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

MARIA 

[Looking  at  him  on  the  ground] 
Now  I  am  free ;  yes,  now.    You  said  it,  Scammon, 
And  I  have  made  it  so. 

[She  glances  at  the  knife;  puts  it  back 
in  her  bosom,  and  looks  at  her  hands.] 

The  vineyard  wines! 

At  home  the  grapes  are  spurting  in  the  vats. — 
They  make  our  hands  red. 

[She  stoops  and  feels  of  the  body.] 

When  the  pulp  is  crushed, 

It  lies  so  still,  and  throbs.     The  wine  —  the  wine 
Is  pressed. —  So  still !     Giovanni  lies  so  still 
Across  the  sea  now.     Ah,  to  lie  with  him ! 

[At    her   side    her    hand    touches    the 
bundle  of  greenbacks;  she  lifts  and  stares 
at  them}  murmuring  slowly :] 
Across  the  sea !  —  These,  these  can  take  me  there ! 
[Gathering  and  pressing  them  to  her 
heart.] 

The  bills  —  ah,  "  better  than  bright  olive  leaves !  " 
Home,  home !  Lisetta  mine,  thou  shalt  go  home 
To  thy  cool  fountain. 

[She  goes  to  LISETTA  and  bends  over 
her.] 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  123 

Money,  money!     See: 
The  great  Madonna  she  has  sent  us  riches 
To  take  us  home  together.     Wake,  my  pet, 
And  I  will  show  thee,  waking,  brighter  dreams 
Than  sleep  can  show  thee.     Wake,  my  poor  tired 

lamb ! 
Lisetta,  wake !     'Tis  sister ;  look,  dear ;  wake ! 

[She  turns  LISETTA'S  face,  pauses,  and 
starts  up  with  a  shrill  cry:'} 
Lisetta ! 

[She  buries  her  face.  Outside  the 
'voices'  of  GIUSEPPE  and  SANDRO  call  ex 
citedly:"] 

GIUSEPPE 
Heigh,  Maria! 

SANDRO 

Ho,  MariM 

[They  enter,  right,  and  hurry  toward 
her.] 

GIUSEPPE 
See  what  we  bring  you  from  the  settlement. 

[Behind  them  in  the  dimness  follow  two 
others  —  NOEL  and  GIOVANNI.] 


i24  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIOVANNI 
[Rushing  forward] 
Maria! 

MARIA 

[Gazing  at  him] 
No! 

[He  embraces  her.     She  droops  against 
him)  with  a  low  sob.] 
Giovanni ! 

GIOVANNI 

Now  —  till  now  I 
Dear  God,  look  down  and  see  our  happiness. 

[He  holds  her  close  to  him,  caressing.] 

SANDRO 
And  see  —  the  good  signore ! 

NOEL 
[Drawing  SANDRO  away] 

Hush  —  not  now ! 
GIOVANNI 
Noel,  our  friend  —  Noel  has  brought  me  home. 

MARIA 

[Looking  in  his  eyes] 
Home? 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  125 

GIOVANNI 
To  thy  heart. 

MARIA 

Home  —  home  is  in  our  dreams, 
Not  here. 

GIUSEPPE 
[Looking  where  LlSETTA  lies'] 

Is  she  asleep? 

MARIA 
[Lifting  her  arms  in  prayer] 

O  dear  Madonna, 
Give  her  cool  sleep,  and  happy,  happy  dreams ! 

[Turning  to  the  others,  she  says,  low 
and  simply :] 
Lisett'  is  dead. 

THE  OTHERS 
Dead! 

GIUSEPPE 
[Falling  beside  her"] 

Ah,  no !     My  Lisetta ! 

SANDRO 

[Joining  him  there~\ 
Little  one! 


126  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIUSEPPE 
[To  NOEL] 
Bring  a  doctor. 

NOEL 
[At  her  side,  shakes  his  head] 

'Tis  too  late. 

GIUSEPPE 
God,  God! 

SANDRO 
Iddio! 

[They  bow  beside  the  body.] 

GIOVANNI 
[To  MARIA] 

Dead !  —  When  was  this  ? 

MARIA 

Now, 
She  lay  beside  me,  and  I  did  not  know. 

[Pointing] 
He  came. 

GIOVANNI 
[Peering] 
What's  there  —  that  body? 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  127 

MARIA 

That  r— -  was  Scammon. 

GIOVANNI 
Scammon  I     Here ! 

[Starting  to  look'} 

Him,  the  scoundrel — • 

MARIA 

Wait,  Giovanni! 

[While  she  speaks,  the  body  of  SCAM 
MON  stirs.  Unseen  by  the  others,  fur 
tively  he  raises  his  head,  listens,  then  low 
ers  it  again. ~\ 

Listen!     The  great  Madonna  on  her  brow 
She  wears  a  crown  of  rays,  but  they  are  thorns, 
And  we  must  wear  them  for  her  dear  Son's  sake, 
Like  her.     I,  too,  have  worn  them  in  this  land. 
Ah,  when  we  watched  her  from  the  mighty  ship 
Lifting  her  hand  to  bless  the  glad  blue  waves, 
We  did  not  know,  Giovanni,  how  she  would  shine 
Yonder!  — 

[She  points  at  the  electric  advertise 
ment.^ 

all  twinkling  in  her  cold  white  stars 
To  mock  us,  in  this  choking  street  of  pain; 
But  so  it  is :  her  thorns  —  her  thorns  are  sharp. 


128  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIOVANNI 
Maria  • — 

Wait! 

MARIA 
[Looking  toward  SCAMMON] 

He  came,  like  her,  to  mock  us, 
To  mock  us  with  white  clothes  and  cool  sea  winds, 
Clean  food  and  quiet  rest  and  days  of  laughter, 
Lisett'  and  me.     He  said  how  you  had  died 
In  Italy.     He  told  us  to  come  away 
Together  —  leave  the  sweatshop,  the  hot  night, 
The  labor  all  day  long,  and  live  with  him, 
Lisett',  and  me  —  together,  ah,  he  bid 
These  —  these  — 

[She  throws  the  bills  scattering  to  the 
ground.] 

GIOVANNI 
You !  —  then  you  killed  him  ? 

MARIA 
[Showing  her  knife~\ 

So !  —  with  that. 
GIOVANNI 
[  Taking  it~\ 

His  blood  still  wet.     My  hands  too!     Mine  be 
red! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  129 

[He  wipes  the  blade  upon  them;  then 
turns  to  the  body.] 

God !  that  I  might  have  stuck  you,  swine,  myself ! 
Let's  see  if  you  be  warm.     Ha,  look  —  it  moves. 
{With  a  low  groan,  SCAMMON  starts 
partly  up,  drags  himself,  and  tries  to  stag 
ger  to  his  feet.] 
God  praise !     /'ll  give  the  blow. 

SCAMMON 
[Shrilly'] 

Help!  Help!  — Police! 

GIOVANNI 

[Stabbing  him  fiercely] 
To  hell! 

[ScAMMON  falls  dead.  At  his  last  cry, 
people  flock  back  into  the  alley  and  look 
{from  the  windows.  Several  scream  and 
shout:] 

VOICES 

Fight!  fight!     A  fight! 
[GIUSEPPE,   who  has  wildly  followed 
GIOVANNI,  seizes  now  the  knife  from  his 
hand,   and  stabs   the  body   of  SCAMMON 
again.] 


130  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIUSEPPE 
[Madly] 

Let  me!  let  me! 
Kill  more !  more !     Come,  throw  bombs  and  kill 

them  all. 
They  kill  our  souls !     They  kill  our  souls ! 

VOICES 

He's  dead! 

Murder!     They're  fighting!     Knives!     They're 
bleeding !     Fight ! 

[A  police  officer  enters,  blows  a  shrill 
whistle,  and  beats  on  the  pavement  with 
his  club;  then,  confronted  by  GIOVANNI, 
GIUSEPPE  and  others  of  the  people, 
hastens  off.~\ 

GIOVANNI 

[Silencing  them] 

People !  my  people !     Hear  me.     I  have  killed 

him, 

Scammon.     Look  —  there    he    lies.     You    know 
him  well. 

VOICES 
We  know  him,  curse  him !     Scammon ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  131 

GIOVANNI 

I  have  killed  him, 

The  one  who  stole  our  hearts  across  the  sea 
To  sell  for  these  • — 

\He  crumbles  in  his  hands  some  of  the 
greenbacks  and  scatters  them.  Some 
from  the  crowd  seize  them;  others  scramble 
and  gather  up  those  remaining  on  the 
ground.~\ 

VOICES 
Ha,  money !     Grab  the  money ! 

GIOVANNI 

Take  it,  yes,  take  the  devil's  price !  for  he 
Has  paid  you  for  your  souls,  and  you  are  poor. 
I  hold  a  better  bargain  in  my  hands. — 
Look  here :   his  blood !     For  this  —  for  this   I 

came 
Across  the  seas!     This,  friends,  is  Liberty! 

VOICES 
Liberty !     Viva ! 

GIOVANNI 
[Pointing  to  the  electric  sign] 

Santa  Liberta ! 

Behold  her  there !     Pray  to  our  saint,  my  people, 
My  people  wandering  in  the  promised  land ! 


132  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

Is  she  not  glorious  in  this  summer  night  — 
Her  starry  robe,  her  frosty  jeweled  crown? 
Is  it  not  fair,  this  shrine  where  we  must  kneel? 
Are  we  not  happy,  we,  to  worship  her? 

[  The  crowd  stares  upward  and  murmurs 
savagely.] 
Look  round  you,  friends.     Once,  under  almond 

trees, 

I  saw  your  faces  in  the  April  noon. 
Still,  still,  those  faces  in  the  August  night  — 
I  know  them  —  ah,  but  would  they  know  them 
selves? 

Look  round  you:     Here,  here  is  our  Promised 
Land ! 

THE  PEOPLE 

\With  a  great  growl  of  rage] 
Down  with  the  Promised  Land! 

GIOVANNI 

Ha !  you  begin 

To  feel,  to  think!     But  who  are  you,  are  we, 
To  feel  and  think?     You  are  not  men,  with  hearts 
And    minds    and   passions.     You    are    cogs    and 

wheels., 

Cogs,  wheels  and  levers  in  the  great  machine  — 
The  roaring  soul-machine,  America, 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  133 

You  cogs  and  wheels,  who  owns  the  great  ma 
chine  ? 

[The  People  murmur  again  savagely.] 

Is  it,  then, —  God?     Ah,  God,  dear  friends,  His 

world 

Is  sweet  and  small:     He  grows  in  little  things 
No   bigger  than   a   poor   man's   heart. —  What, 

then? 

If  God  is  prisoned  in  a  poor  man's  heart, 
Who  is  it  makes  a  cog  and  wheel  of  Him? 
Who  is  it  mocks  the  eternal  God  and  tries 
To  crush  his  life-blood  in  a  blind  machine  ? 


THE  PEOPLE 
[Growing  wilder] 
Who?     Show  him!     Who? 

GIOVANNI 

Who  made  you  what  you  are 
Of  what  you  were  ?     Who  put  you  in  this  slum 
To  rot  at  soul  and  die  in  body  here? 

THE  PEOPLE 

[Fiercely] 
Scammon!     Ha,  Scammon! 


i34  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

GIOVANNI 

Scammon,  and  I  killed  him ! 
Did  I  do  well? 

THE  PEOPLE 
Viva  Giovanni  I 

NOEL 
[Stepping  through  the  crowd~\ 

Friends! 
Giovanni  I 

GIOVANNI 
You,  Noel? 

NOEL 

Scammon  is  dead; 

But  if  you  killed  a  thousand  Scammons,  still 
A  thousand  thousand  would  survive  him. 

GIOVANNI 

How? 
Where? 

NOEL 

In  that  little  place  where  God  is  growing: 
Poor  man  —  his  heart. 

GIUSEPPE 
[Fiercely] 

Scammon!     Revenge  on  all 
Like  Scammon ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  135 

NOEL 

We  are  all  like  Scammon,  boy  — 
The  less  or  more,  who  knows? 

GIOVANNI 
[Impatient] 

Shall  we  not  break 
The  foul  machine  he  served? 

NOEL 

Yes,  break  it,  break  it 
As  a  hatching  bird  its  shell  —  from  the  inside. 

[A    shrill    whistle    sounds    from    the 
right.] 

GIOVANNI 
Friends,  the  police !     Who'll  fight  them  with  me  ? 

GIUSEPPE 

I! 

THE  PEOPLE 
Fight  them !     Fight  them ! 

MARIA 
[Rushing  to  his  side] 

Brave  Giovanni  mine! 
[A  squad  of  police  throng  in,  clubbing. 


136  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

The  people  scream  and  shout.  Some  fall 
and  others  flee;  a  crowd  of  them  fight  with 
knives  and  sticks.] 

AN  OFFICER 

Strike!     Clear    the    street,    there!     Take    him! 
There's  the  man ! 

[GIOVANNI  is  seized  by  one  of  the  po 
lice,  but  fells  him,  and  leaps  upon  a  wooden 
stoop  above  the  crowd,  MARIA  climbing 
beside  him.] 

GIOVANNI 
Police ! 

THE  PEOPLE 

[Shout] 
Giovanni ! 

GIOVANNI 
Officers! 

AN  OFFICER 

Wait !     Hear  him. 
GIOVANNI 
You  are  the  angels  of  the  Promised  Land. 

[Pointing  to  the  sign] 

The  great  Madonna  —  look !     She  laughs  —  she 
laughs ! 


THE  IMMIGRANTS  137 

THE  PEOPLE 
[With  a  great  shout~\ 
Down!     Down!     Police!     Fight!     Fight! 

[An  officer  shoots  —  the  people  fall 
back,  break  away  and  run  indoors.  GIO 
VANNI,  MARIA,  GIUSEPPE  and  others  are 
seize  d.~\ 

THE  OFFICER 
To  prison  with  them.     On,  there ! 

THE  PEOPLE 
[Groaning  and  hissing  from  the  windows] 

Prison !     Prison ! 
GIOVANNI 
With  you,  Mari' ! 

MARIA 

Together  now,  Giovanni! 
[They  are  dragged  out  together.  The 
street  is  left  almost  deserted.  Only  beside 
the  body  of  LISETTA,  bowed  over,  SANDRO 
prays  dumbly.  By  the  body  of  SCAMMON 
two  officers  stand  on  guard,  in  the  dimness. 
Between  the  two  bodies,  stands  NOEL. 
}He  gazes  after  MARIA  and  GIOVANNI, 
then  looks  upward  toward  the  glittering 
electric  image.'} 


138  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

NOEL 

In  misery  together !  —  O  Liberty, 
When  will  you  cease  in  darkness  to  destroy 
The  souls  that  seek  you  ? 


THE   END 


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